Sir Vince Cable’s ‘erotic spasm’ gaffe overshadows his Lib Dem conference speech
Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable overshadowed his own conference speech by stumbling over his words during a key attack on Brexit.
In a much-trailed line, the former Business Secretary was due to describe the vote to leave the EU as an "erotic spasm".
However, the 75-year-old failed to rise to the occasion at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton, instead labelling Brexit as an "exotic spresum".
The quip had been released to the media ahead of the speech, prompting some Lib Dems to chastise their leader for the use of sexual imagery, while the party's deputy leader Jo Swinson said "erotic spasm" were "not the words I would personally choose."
A spokesman for Sir Vince said the leader did not duck out of using the phrase, explaining: “He just misspoke – it happens to everyone".
As well as attacks on Conservative Brexiteers Jacob Rees-Mogg, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, Sir Vince accused Jeremy Corbyn of letting down voters in Labour's heartlands by not backing another referendum on the UK's EU membership.
He said: "There is now a growing realisation that Brexit will be costly and painful: very costly and very painful if we crash out without a deal.
"The Brexit date may be 29th March [2019], but it is only may be.
"Brexit is not inevitable. It can and must be stopped."
The speech is likely to be Sir Vince's last conference address as party leader, having announced earlier this month he would step down before the next election and when Brexit is either "resolved or stopped."