'No coalitions' Farron insists after Cable hints at Lib Dem alliances with Labour

• Video report by ITV News Correspondent Emma Murphy

There will be "no deal, no pacts" and "no coalitions" between the Liberal Democrats and any other political parties following the General Election, Tim Farron has said.

The Lib Dem leader's comments came after Sir Vince Cable suggested his party's supporters should consider backing Labour candidates in certain seats to help beat the Conservatives.

Sir Vince, a former Lib Dem business secretary, told a meeting of party members they should "think and act in a constructive way" in the June 8 vote, telling them he and one Labour candidate's views are "almost identical".

In the recording the Lib Dem candidate in Twickenham said: "I've always valued the relationships, the good relationships, I've had with people in other parties and I particularly know a lot of people on the Labour side whose views are very close to mine.

"I'll just give one example, there's Rupa Huq who's the candidate in Ealing, I think.

"Purely by coincidence I found myself, I think it was on Any Questions or one of those programmes in Warwick a few months ago, and I gave her a lift home back to Ealing.

"We talked for a couple of hours and it was very clear on almost every issue, our views were almost identical.

"And so I would find it very difficult to vote against somebody like that, and I hope that our people around the country are discriminating and think and act in a constructive way."

The recording also captured Sir Vince saying there would have to be tax rises after June's poll.

Sarah Olney, the Lib Dem candidate in Richmond Park, was also recorded saying she wants Labour's Ms Huq to win in Ealing, adding: "Being tactical isn't just about standing down or voting for the right candidate, it also can be about paper candidates, but not campaigning."

However, Sir Vince later told LBC radio his party had a "clear policy" not to go into government with Jeremy Corbyn.

But added he backed local deals in so-called progressive alliances on an "ad hoc basis", adding: "I think if the local parties decide that's what they want to do, they should do it."

Speaking to ITV News, Mr Farron said voting for the Lib Dems is "the only way to express opposition to the Conservatives with a huge majority".

Asked if he was embarrassed by Sir Vince's comments, Mr Farron added: "On the ground it's absolutely right that politicians of all political parties actually treat each other like human beings, not members of different isolated tribes, but it's also important that we as a party are very clear in our message there will be no deal, no pacts, no coalitions.

"It's about the Lib Dems being the only serious and clear alternative to a Tory landslide."

In response to Sir Vince's comments, the Conservatives accused the Lib Dems of scheming to get the Labour leader into power, adding that what the party says publicly is "completely at odds with what they say and do in private".

Zac Goldsmith, the former Richmond Park MP who is standing there again for the Conservatives, added: "As usual with the Lib Dems, what they say publicly is completely at odds with what they say and do in private.

"Having said publicly they wouldn't do a deal with Jeremy Corbyn, it's now clear they are actually plotting to help him succeed."

While work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green added: "The threat of Jeremy Corbyn making it to Downing Street propped up by a coalition of chaos is very real - and these recordings show the Lib Dems are scheming to make it happen.

"As Cable makes clear, the result would be higher taxes for families and businesses, and attempts to frustrate Brexit at every turn. We would all pay the price."

A number of deals have been struck in seats across the country where Lib Dem and Green candidates have stood aside to help each other, while senior Labour figures have backed the idea of such alternatives.

Yet Chuka Umunna, Labour's former shadow business secretary, told Radio 4's World at One he is "squiffy" about such deals.

He added: "I'm a bit tribal about this in the sense I do see the Labour Party as the biggest engine for transformation in our country."