With Nigel Farage’s Brexit party still in poll position in the EU elections, the task has fallen to one man to take him on.
Jeremy Corbyn? Boris Johnson? Chuka Umunna?
No, no and no. Given that the Liberal Democrats are currently polling at 19 per cent, above the Labour and Conservative parties, their leader Vince Cable has participated in a live debate with Farage. The debate was facilitated this morning by The Telegraph.
As the leader the Lib Dems - arguably the UK’s most pro-Remain party - Cable had a lot riding on his performance. But sadly an unfortunate use of words seems to be overshadowing the debate.
After Nigel Farage mentioned the Brexit Party’s “diverse” range of candidates, Cable accused Farage of whipping up antagonism to foreigners during the 2016 referendum. He specifically referenced Farage's "breaking point" poster which depicted hundreds of foreign men who were allegedly coming to the UK.
Cable then sought to establish himself as an anti-racist by saying:
I welcome people with dark faces, I was married to one.
"I welcome people with dark faces, I was married to one," says Vince Cable on the controversial 'breaking point' po… https://t.co/XIZEYjQiAI— James Rothwell (@James Rothwell) 1558514752
He was BTW referring to his first wife, Olympia Rebelo, a Kenyan teacher who died of cancer in 2001. https://t.co/jYLQFlI4I2— James Rothwell (@James Rothwell) 1558518089
People on social media reacted with a collective face-palm to Cable’s phrasing.
It has been compared to when Change UK MP Angela Smith infamously described ethnic minorities as having a “funny tinge” just hours after the launch of her new party.
Politicians describing BAME ppl in 2019: “Coloured” - Amber Rudd “Funny tinge” - Angela Smith "I welcome people wi… https://t.co/jwiKAtZr8V— Aleesha Khaliq (@Aleesha Khaliq) 1558525951
Vince Cable is proof that you can be married to a BAME person and still hold subconscious racial prejudices that ‘a… https://t.co/WFnsRk8Q8H— Aleesha Khaliq (@Aleesha Khaliq) 1558526163
As a POC, I’m not gonna sit here explaining to people why referring to POC as “dark faces” is dehumanising and insu… https://t.co/tqXkk2Kxag— Aleesha Khaliq (@Aleesha Khaliq) 1558526516
@JamesERothwell And then he went on to say that he's got nothing against them but they are not Europeans, excluding… https://t.co/3Y9cR2DBTX— Jakub Krupa (@Jakub Krupa) 1558514914
More: Chuka Umunna expressed his 'disappointment' after a Change UK candidate defected to the Lib Dems