Junker is SO POMPOUS he even makes Remainers hate the EU! says Vince Cable

The Liberal Democrat leader delivered his extraordinary slap down after he launched the party conference in Bournemouth.

He said: “Juncker embodies many of the EU’s failings. He is pompous, self-important and overpaid.”

He called for the EU chief to be replaced by someone “more attuned to reality and public opinion.”

And in reference to the European Commissioner’s fondness for a drink Mr Cable sniped: “Since Mr Juncker has several visions, he should go and see an optician.

“It is people like him who give the European project a bad name. Juncker puts off a lot of people in Britain who would otherwise be well disposed to the EU. 

“Just because my party is against Brexit does not mean we are not prepared to be strong critics of the EU.”

Mr Cable took over as leader of the Liberal Democrats after the June election when Tim Farron, who had led the party from 2015, stepped down.

Sir Vince has made no secret of the fact that he is pro-European but appeared not to hold back on criticising Mr Juncker, who is paid a salary of £300,000 a year.

And while he laid into Mr Juncker, he is a supporter of Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator, saying he had “a lot of time” for Mr Barnier.

Mr Juncker has been a key agitator during Brexit talks, often striking a negative tone.

Last week he said that Britain will soon regret voting for Brexit but the EU will move on.

The EU boss said: “This will be a very sad and tragic moment in our history. We will always regret this, and I think that you will regret it as well, soon.

“Nonetheless we have to respect the will of the British people. But we are going to make progress. 

“We will move on because Brexit isn’t everything, it’s not the future of everything, it’s not the be all and end all.”

He also evoked the Queen to describe how Brexit helped to make 2016 an “annus horribilis” for the European project.

Sir Vince has called for a second EU referendum to be held on the official Brexit day – in March 2019.

Over the weekend, he told The Observer that he felt confident that he could become the next prime minister, despite the party only having 12 MPs.

Taking his cue from the victories of Emmanuel Macron in France and Justin Trudeau in Canada he said: “Given the alternatives, I think that’s plausible…in these times of political upheaval all kinds of strange things can happen.”