Cable rebuffs racism jibes and slams ‘white nostalgia’

The leader of the Liberal Democrats has denied suggesting Brexit supporters are racist after attacking white nostalgia.

Sir Vince Cable faced criticism after telling his party’s spring conference that too many of those who voted for Brexit were “driven by a nostalgia for a world where passports were blue, faces were white and the map was coloured imperial pink”.

Conservatives attacked the comments as “unfair” and called for him to apologise.

Sir Vince denied indicating Brexit voters were racist, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I didn’t suggest that at all.”

However, he insisted “nostalgia for that world” was a factor, adding. “Why else has so much fuss been made about the change in the colour of the passport?”