May speech 'could have been taken out of Mein Kampf', says Cable
The former business secretary compares a passage in the PM's party conference speech to Hitler's infamous book Mein Kampf.
Wednesday 5 July 2017 19:57, UK
Lib Dem leadership favourite Sir Vince Cable has accused Theresa May of delivering a speech that "could have been taken out of Mein Kampf".
The PM said during a speech at the Conservative Party conference in the autumn: "If you believe you're a citizen of the world, you're a citizen of nowhere.
"You don't understand what the very word citizenship means."
The comment at the time sparked controversy, with some branding it divisive and others saying Mrs May was promoting a kind of post-Brexit nationalism.
Sir Vince drew the comparison to Hitler's infamous book in an interview with the New Statesman.
"I thought that particular phrase was quite evil," he told the magazine.
"It could've been taken out of Mein Kampf."
"I think that's where it came from, wasn't it? 'Rootless cosmopolitans'? It was out of character for her," he added.
Number 10 said it had no comment.
Sir Vince is likely to become Tim Farron's successor at the helm of the Liberal Democrats.
At 74, the former business secretary has faced questions on whether he is too old.
But he says he has the experience and energy to lead the party, and recently spoke against what he said was the "cult of youth" in modern politics.