He revealed his intentions today as he welcomed Chuka Umunna to the ranks of the Lib Dems, with other former Change UK MPs expected to follow in the coming days. At a press conference in Westminster this afternoon, Sir Vince confirmed the Lib Dems will back a motion of no confidence in the Government to avoid leaving the EU without a deal. The outgoing leader has in the past said his Remain-suporting party believes in stopping Brexit in a “proper and democratic way”. 

This week saw MPs reject a Labour-led effort to take control of Parliament to stop a no-deal scenario. 

Shadow Brexit Secreatary Sir Keir Starmer has said Labour is looking into other “procedural mechanisms” to prevent a no deal Brexit.

Sir Vince said Mr Umunna was a “formidable, serious political figure” and would positively contribute to the Lib Dems. 

Mr Unumma, who has been MP for Streatham since 2010, has in the past been a fierce critic of the Lib Dems. 

In 2013 Mr Umunna tweeted: “You can’t trust a word the Lib Dems say”. 

Political commentator Owen Jones savaged the former Labour shadow business secretary for his third defection in four months, accusing him of hypocrisy and holding only self-serving ambitions. 

Speaking at today’s lunchtime press conference, Mr Umunna touched on his past criticism of the Lib Dems. 

He said: “I’ll be honest, I found it hard to come to terms with the public spending cuts”, referring to the cuts by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government. 

But he said “things have changed” since then and the Lib Dems are now an “anti-austerity” party. 

The People’s Vote campaigner said: “Most importantly, the biggest impediment to ending austerity currently is pressing on with Brexit.” 

Mr Umunna is tipped to run as a Lib Dem candidate in Sir Vince’s Twickenham seat after the leader resigns. 

Reports from the press conference suggested more MPs could follow Mr Umunna and join the Lib Dems this weekend, and not just former members of Change UK. 

Mr Umunna co-founded Change UK in February along with fellow Labour defectors and three Tory MPs. 

After the centrist, pro-European party’s flop in the European parliament elections, the group split. 

Change UK received just 3.4 percent of the vote in the Euros on May 23. 

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