Vince Cable: Young people will turn to the Lib Dems when the penny drops about Labour’s real stance on Brexit | City A.M.

The favourite to win leadership of the Liberal Democrats has said young people will be “disillusioned” when they realise Labour’s real stance on Brexit.

Vince Cable, who became the first to throw his hat into the ring for the Lib Dem leadership contest after Tim Farron resigned earlier this month, told Peston on Sunday the party lost out during the General Election after a “surge of support” for Jeremy Corbyn.

“Young people who might have come to us and shared our views about Europe [voted for Labour instead],” said the former business secretary.

However, he added: “They believed wrongly, as it happens, that the party was committed to opposing the government’s hard Brexit.

“When the penny drops, there will be a lot of disillusion.”

Cable also defended the Liberal Democrats’ decision to push for a second referendum on Brexit.

“[The idea] may have cost us some votes, but I think the basic proposition is sound,” he said.

“We’re not talking about re-running the referendum, what we’re talking about is a validatory referendum at the end of the process.

“The public should have the option of approving it, or if they don’t approve it, going back to the status quo.”