Tories "ruthless and calculating", says Cable

Vince Cable has attacked the Lib Dems' Tory coalition partners as "ruthless, calculating and very tribal" but insisted their alliance would continue.



The business secretary's party suffered huge losses in Thursday's elections and were defeated in the vote on changing the electoral system.

He told the BBC the government's "overwhelming priority" was still to resolve the UK's economic problems.

Tory Home Secretary Theresa May said the parties would still work together.

But Labour said the Lib Dems had to "listen" to voters rather than "ploughing on" with current coalition policies.

Thursday's referendum on changing the way Britain elects MPs was a key concession secured by the Liberal Democrats as the price of forming a coalition government with the Conservatives a year ago.

But the rejection of the proposal by 13,013,123 votes to 6,152,607 in only the second ever UK-wide referendum potentially marks a new phase in the relationship between the two parties.

Senior Lib Dems are furious about the way campaigners for a No vote, with what they believe was the approval of their Conservative cabinet colleagues, made personal attacks on Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.