Cable 'made last-ditch call to Brown'

Saturday, 15 May 2010 12:00 AM

Vince Cable made a last-ditch phone call to Gordon Brown trying to prevent a Lib-Con alliance, according to media reports.

The Times reported today that the then-Lib Dem Treasury spokesman believed the party should throw in its lot with Labour rather than the Tories.

The story, which relies on Labour sources, also reported that Nick Clegg spent last weekend telling Mr Brown he wanted to open formal talks with Labour.

Mr Clegg was concerned that members of the party would "leave in droves" if the party got into bed with the Tories.

That conversation prompted Mr Brown to offer to stand down, which he announced outside Downing Street on Monday in a dramatic statement.

A meeting was then tabled between Mr Cable and Mr Darling, but by the time it was due to take place the Lib-Con deal was already inevitable.

Mr Cable told the Times: "I said to Gordon that we were having conversations with the Conservatives and that we should be having conversations with Labour."

But he poured cold water on suggestions a Lib-Lab deal would have been stable.

"I was not comfortable with the deliverability of Labour," he said.

"The brutal truth is that the numbers just were not there for Labour ... It is certainly true, however, that we wanted to try and keep that option alive."

A closed-door meeting of Lib Dem members in Birmingham tomorrow will see them offer their verdict on the new arrangement.

Tags:
• constitution
,
• domestic policy
,
• government and administration
,
• legal and constitutional
,
• party politics