Rennard ‘won’t be given a role’

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has said former chief executive Lord Rennard will not return to any senior role in the party as long as he is in charge.

Former campaigns chief Lord Rennard was suspended from the party for seven months in 2014 after allegations of improper behaviour towards female activists, but a disciplinary inquiry found there was insufficient evidence for action to be taken against him.

Sir Vince insisted he had no regrets that the peer helped him campaign in his Twickenham constituency in this year’s general election, but said he would not appoint him to any frontbench or advisory role.

The Lib Dem leader said: “He has no role whatever advising me or as a spokesman for the party and I have no intention of going down that road.” Asked by presenter Emma Barnett whether there could be a frontbench job for Lord Rennard in future, Sir Vince said: “No. I’ve ruled that out, where I’m concerned.”

He added: “He clearly is the focus of a great deal of critical comment. I want the party to move on.

“I don’t want every conversation to go back to what happened 10 years ago with him. His position is not a comfortable one, but he is still a party member and I think that’s where it should rest.

“I have no intention of bringing him back into a leadership role or a spokesmanship role. He emphatically did not run my campaign.”

Vince Cable has ruled out any post for Lord Rennard