Lib Dem leadership race

Vince Cable, 74, has put himself forward as a new leader of the Liberal Democrats, in the wake of Tim Farron’s resignation. The former business secretary, who was ousted from his seat in Twickenham in 2015, but won it back on 8 June, said that if elected leader, he would retain the party’s commitment to a second EU referendum. Farron put Brexit at the heart of the Lib Dem campaign, yet failed to increase its share of the vote. During the campaign, he had been repeatedly grilled over his Christian beliefs – including whether he believed gay sex was a sin. Last week, he said “remaining faithful to Christ” was “impossible” while leading the party. Jo Swinson had been tipped as a successor, but has since ruled out a leadership bid.