Cable’s secret plot to prop up Jeremy

VINCE cable was accused of plotting to prop up Jeremy corbyn yesterday after he was secretly recorded urging Lib Dem activists to back Labour candidates.

The former business secretary told a meeting of members to vote tactically next month by supporting Labour where it had a chance of beating the conservatives.

The Lib Dem grandee, who lost his seat to the Tories in 2015, told supporters to ‘act in a constructive way’ at the event last week.

He said his views and those of one Labour candidate were almost identical.

Lib Dem candidate Sarah Olney was caught on tape at the same event calling for ‘collaborations’ with Labour. She and Sir Vince suggested the party could put up nominal candidates in some areas without campaigning to win. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has insisted his party would not form a coalition with Labour, telling voters they cannot work with the party because Jeremy corbyn is ‘toxic’.

The tape overshadowed Mr Farron’s announcement that Sir Vince, who is running for his old seat in Twickenham, would be returning to the Lib Dem front bench. He appointed him as Treasury spokesman in a bid to beef up the party’s economic profile in the general election and welcomed the return of ‘ big beasts’ to his team. in the recording, obtained by Sky news and LBc radio, Sir Vince said: ‘in some cases parties will put up candidates purely nominally, and they won’t try, or they’ll signal that they actually want someone else to win. in other cases candidates will stand down in a passive way and just go somewhere else.

‘in other cases they will stand down and they will then endorse or have a common platform with other parties. There’s a range of possibilities.’

The Lib Dem veteran was also recorded urging voters to back Rupa Huq, Labour’s candidate in ealing central.

The Green Party has already withdrawn to give her a free run. it is one of the most mar- ginal seats in the country. Mrs Olney, who won the Richmond Park constituency in a by-election last november, added: ‘Being tactical isn’t just about standing down or voting for the right candidate, it also can be about paper candidates but not campaigning.’

Damien Green, Tory work and pensions secretary, said the tape showed the need for strong and stable leadership.

‘The threat of Jeremy corbyn making it to Downing Street propped up by a coalition of chaos is very real – and these recordings show the Lib Dems are scheming to make it happen,’ he added. ‘The result would be higher taxes for families and businesses, and attempts to frustrate Brexit at every turn. We would all pay the price.’