Sir Vince Cable’s speech to the Liberal Democrat conference was overshadowed after he tried to say “erotic spasm” but instead said “exotic spresm”.

The fruity phrase had already sparked mockery when it emerged that the Liberal Democrat leader planned to use it to describe why “the costs of Brexit have always been irrelevant” to Conservative “true believers”.

As he delivered the key line, which came early in the speech, Sir Vince paused for effect — but then spoke of the “exotic spresm of leaving the European Union”. The botched quip was met with silence in the Brighton conference hall.