No deal '˜Nuclear option' Brexit won't be used says Sir Vince Cable

A no deal Brexit is a '˜nuclear option' that will never be used, the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has said in a bid to drum up support for referendum on the terms of the UK's deal with Brussels.

Mr Cable said embracing a so-called People’s Vote offered Theresa May the only way of getting her Brexit deal through parliament, because pro-EU MPs on both sides of the Commons were set to reject the agreement without the option of a referendum attached.

It comes ahead of a march in favour of a second EU referendum on Saturday, which will see supporters bussed into London from around the UK, including major Scottish cities and the Highlands.

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“If she wants to actually get this deal landed, then going to the country and offering what she would present as a middle way alternative might have some appeal,” Mr Cable said. “I don’t think any of us know how the end game will play out, but if all other options are blocked, from the government’s point of view it is a sensible way out.”

Picture: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty ImagesPicture: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images
Picture: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

The Lib Dem leader added: “I know we’re all being frightened by this no deal talk. It’s a bit like talking about nuclear weapons. They’re not meant to be used, and the chances of that actually happening are fairly remote.”