Neither Tim Farron, left, not Vince Cable attended Monday night’s vote where two amendments were passed by three votes.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Vince Cable, and his predecessor, Tim Farron, have been criticised for missing the votes on two government-backed amendments tabled by hardline Brexiters after they passed with a majority of just three.

Cable and Farron, who have positioned the Lib Dems as the stop-Brexit party, were away from the Commons on Monday night during the vote on amendments tabled by Jacob Rees-Mogg’s hardline European Research Group (ERG).

Farron was giving a talk in Sherborne on how he squares his controversial views as an evangelical Christian with being a liberal politician. Cable was attending a meeting away from parliament.

Downing Street claimed the amendments were “consistent with the Brexit white paper”, a decision that so incensed Tory remainers that 14, including a junior minister, voted against the government.

After the government won two of the votes with a majority of just three remain-backing Labour MPs turned on Cable and Farron – although three Labour MPs, and a former Labour MP, also backed the government.

Stephen Kinnock (@SKinnock)

Last night two Brextremist-driven amendments were carried by a whisker – 3 and 4 votes, respectively. 14 Tories rebelled. Tim Farron and Vince Cable (those doughty, fearless crusaders against a hard Brexit) didn’t vote. This was how Tim spent his evening: https://t.co/Iz5dHz9RHL