Cable aims to overtake Tory membership figure

Sir Vince Cable will be named leader of the Liberal Democrats tomorrow with a pledge to become Britain’s second biggest party by membership.

The former Cabinet minister will be unveiled as the party’s leader at a Westminster hotel at teatime and will say he wants the Libdems to become bigger than the Tories. The Libdems had 101,000 members at the end of May, 33,000 behind the Conservatives.

A spokesman for Sir Vince pointed out the party’s membership was now “at its highest since its formation” in 1988. He added: “Vince has huge ambitions. Since the general election there has been serious growth in party membership.”