Liberal Democrat MP Says Party Is "Many Years" Away From Non-MP Leader

8 September 2018, 09:19

A Liberal Democrat MP says that his party is "many years" away from having a leader who is not an MP, after current-leader Sir Vince Cable floated the idea in a speech announcing an open-ended resignation.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats announced plans to quit his position "once Brexit is resolved or stopped", and that his successor could be non-MP.

Sir Vince Cable said he was not "pushing anybody forward" to replace him, but refused to give any timetable for his departure.

However Tom Brake, a Liberal Democrat MP, said that the process could take years.

Speaking to Andrew Castle on LBC, he said: "We're a long way from that position.

"These are policy proposals that Vince has put forward which the party has to then approve.

"It would be possible to have a party leader who wasn't a member of parliament in the run up to a General Election who then subsequently gets elected.

"But we're many, many years from that position."