If all political careers end in failure, as Enoch Powell once said, how can you possibly explain the remarkable resurrection of Vince Cable last night? The Lib Dem leader, who has announced that he will be stepping down on 23 July, achieved a historic result for his party, securing 20.3 per cent of the UK national vote in the European elections and sending 15 MEPs to Brussels – five more than Labour and second only to the Brexit Party. In a sign of the party’s wide support across the country, the Lib Dems managed to win the most votes in Stockport, (which has voted for Labour in general elections since 1987) and received more votes than the Conservative party in Windsor and Maidenhead, Theresa May’s constituency.
It is a remarkable turnaround of fortunes. Two years ago, when Cable took over as leader of the party from Tim Farron following the 2017 general election, the Lib Dems seemed an entirely spent force.
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