Former Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has said she "does not regret trying everything" to stop Brexit .
Standing down as leader of Liberal Democrats after losing her seat, has suggested her successor should be a woman.
The former MP said, in a speech in central London, that "smashing the glass ceiling" by becoming the party's first female leader had meant "a lot of broken glass comes down on your head".
She alluded to the "experience" of current Lib Dem spokeswomen, including Layla Moran, Christine Jardine, Wera Hobhouse and Sarah Olney as women who could lead the party.
An emotional Ms Swinson said: "I'm proud to be the first woman to lead the Liberal Democrats and I'm even more proud that I will not be the last.
"In Sarah, Wera, Christine and Layla, we have four fantastic and experienced women MPs. And in Daisy [Cooper] and Munira [Wilson] and Wendy [Chamberlain], we have exciting new talent.
"They will take the Commons by storm."
It came as the shattered Lib Dems were picking up the pieces of their latest election disaster.
Ms Swinson, 39, resigned as leader after losing her East Dunbartonshire seat less than five months after taking the helm.
She led the party into the election with 21 MPs - eight of whom had defected from other parties.
But all the defectors lost and the Lib Dems won just 11 seats - one fewer than under Tim Farron’s leadership in 2017.
Ms Swinson was brutally booted out of her Scottish constituency by the SNP , whose candidate Amy Callaghan scraped a 149 majority.
Savaging Ms Swinson’s presidential-style campaign, ex-MP Sir Simon Hughes said: “Every single decision since Jo became leader and Ed Davey became deputy leader has been the wrong decision.
“We’ve thrown most people under the bus and it’s our fault.”
Former heartlands in the South West were neglected at the expense of fighting both Labour and the Conservatives for votes in London and the Home Counties.
But unrepentant Ms Swinson claimed: “I’m proud that Liberal Democrats have been the unapologetic voice of Remain in this election, giving people the chance to choose to stop Brexit.
“Obviously it hasn’t worked and I am devastated about that.
“But I don’t regret trying.”
In September, she claimed she could win hundreds of seats and march into Downing Street as Prime Minister.
The party had entered the election with high hopes of scooping up seats in Remain-supporting areas.
Activists at its party conference in Bournemouth overwhelmingly backed scrapping its policy of demanding a second Brexit referendum.
Instead, the party switched to calling for withdrawal to be axed without another vote, which critics blasted as anti-democratic.
Ms Swinson had been boosted over the summer by a string of high-profile defections, with ex-Labour MPs Chuka Umunna and Luciana Berger among those joining.
The Lib Dems also won a crucial by-election in Brecon and Radnorshire in July - but only after other Remain-supporting parties stood aside.
Ms Swinson helped trigger Thursday’s ballot - but the move backfired spectacularly.
The Lib Dems moved quickly to appoint deputy leader Sir Ed Davey and president Baroness Sal Brinton as acting joint leaders until members choose a successor.
They will now have their fifth leader in less than five years.
Sir Ed Davey, who lost to Ms Swinson in this year’s contest, is expected to stand again.
Rising star Layla Moran is also tipped to throw her hat in the ring.
