Sir Vince Cable: Jeremy Corbyn Hasn't Taken A Sensible Approach In Criticising Theresa May

14 April 2018, 18:20 | Updated: 15 April 2018, 07:34

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Vince Cable thinks Theresa May made a mistake in "not having the whole Parliament together" before the airstrikes in Syria, but Jeremy Corbyn's criticism is not taking a "sensible line".

Sir Vince Cable told Andrew Castle he was not surprised that the airstrikes took place but said the Prime Minister made a mistake in not allowing MPs to debate the action in Parliament.

"It demonstrates some weakness or lack of confidence in winning a vote" he said.

"It does mean that if things do go pear-shaped she hasn't got the mandate or public opinion support she will need.

Sir Vince recognised "operational priorities" but said he would be more confident if he thought "President Trump knew what he was doing."

"It was never clear if this was just a one off strike or part of some sustained campaign and Parliament should have had an opportunity to challenge the Prime Minister on that and get a clear answer," he said.

"I don't dispute the evidence.

"The evidence is overwhelming.

"We mustn't cause the Russian propaganda to cause doubt.

The Lib Dem said the issue was finding the "sensible response" and that there was "no easy way" of doing just that.

When Andrew asked Sir Vince if Jeremy Corbyn was right to challenge the legality of Theresa May's decision, he said: "I'm not sure it is a sensible line of approach to be frank.

"My concern about what the government is doing doesn't rest on legalities, it rests on whether this is politically sensible and on the balance of moral arguments."