The Marple Leaf (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
Vince Cable was speaking in Manchester on Tuesday night at the IoD dinner. I thought he was disappointing. He had no real explanation, or solution for the current economic blight. One of my table mates, Phil Jones, has blogged here about his thoughts on his performance, which I don't disagree with. I think he ended badly, particularly given he had an audience of business people. He trotted out a few...
Alter Ego (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
One of the key things that we Liberal Democrats have been hanging on to is that Vince Cable is the most competent, and knowledgeable, of the Shadow Chancellors. I had always assumed that the ties of The Bullingdon Club had prevented David Cameron considering getting rid of his friend George Osborne. But, according to today’s Evening Standard [...]
Les Bonner (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
“The Bank of England clearly thinks that the economy is still a long way from recovery,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor. Commenting on the news that The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to pump an extra £25bn into the economy in their quantitative easing programme, Vince Cable said: “The Bank of England [...]
Matthew Taylor's blog (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
Fresh from putting the icing on the cake of the final report of IPPR North’s Commission on the Future of Public Services (I’ll leave it to others to say whether cake or topping provided more nutrition), I am on the road again. This time to the strangely old fashioned surroundings of Chesford Grange Hotel near Leamington [...] Related posts: Why the ATL (and The Observer) should be ashamed...
The Corporate Bubble - Commentary by Phil Jones (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009
Veteran Lib Dem MP and Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable visited Manchester last night, to speak at the Institute of Directors (NW) annual dinner. I was there as a guest of Innovation Manchester , to see what the wryly old economist had to say. As someone that has met him and heard him speak a couple of times now I'm suffering from the law of diminishing returns. First time, thought he was brilliant and...
Shepway Lib Dems (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009
Vince Cable is Member of Parliament for Twickenham and has been the Liberal Democrats' chief economic spokesperson since 2003, having previously served as Chief Economist for Shell from 1995 to 1997. Vince has just published his memoirs "Free Radical", in which he recalls a life of wide variety and great interest - and ballroom dancing!
Twickenham Liberal Democrats (Free subscription) | 02/11/2009
• [Oct 24] Professor Willem Buiter [LSE] writes: ' . . VINCE Cable proposed a tax on expensive residential housing. The fact that he forgot to consult his party before making his proposal does not detract from its merits. Better even than a tax on property would be a land tax.'
Labour And Capital (Free subscription) | 02/11/2009
A belated plug for the latest communique from GMB Heroine of Pensions (First Class) Naomi... The nights are drawing in and scary ghouls are wandering the country (well party conference season wasn’t that long ago) so it must be Autumn and time for another Pensions Q&A. The self-same party conferences gave a few rather hefty clues about the plans the major parties (and the Liberal Democrats)...
Aberavon & Neath Liberal Democrats (Free subscription) | 02/11/2009
Commenting on Government plans to break up state-owned banks, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: “It is obviously right that British retail banking becomes more competitive in order to stop the continual ripping off of customers. “But there’s no justification for a rapid sell off of state assets in the current depressed environment when the taxpayer will get a very...
The Dyda Dispatches (Free subscription) | 01/11/2009
It seems that the Liberal Democrats are relaunching Vince Cable as the Messiah of economics, with the Foresighted One himself appearing today on BBC 24 to remind us how he told us so, which follows famous Durex promoter Lembit Öpik's claim on Question Time last Thursday that everybody everywhere knows that when it comes to banking. Vince is omniscient. Here's a reminder of how Vince earned his...
Les Bonner (Free subscription) | 01/11/2009
Speaking earlier today on Sky News, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said that it is “a terrible time” to break up the banks, and defended the idea of his proposed “mansion tax”. Responding to reports that the Government will announce the break up of three major banks this week he said: “It’s all about timing - in [...]
Not a sheep (Free subscription) | 01/11/2009
The Mail has two articles that show how Tony Blair is making money, greedy hand over grasping fist. The first records his 2003 plea to, then Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon "to let a British Gas-led consortium start work in a vast natural gas field off the coast of the Palestinian Gaza Strip, a deal worth at least £4billion." The Mail is keen to tell us that "There is no suggestion...
ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidat (Free subscription) | 30/10/2009
Here is the image (click it to enlarge) which the Richmond and Twickenham Liberal Democrats have used on their website in the last week to accompany a story accusing both the local Conservatives and a local campaign group of lying...
Liberal Democrat Voice (Free subscription) | 30/10/2009
Over at The Guardian’s Comment Is Free, Lib Dem deputy leader Vince Cable argues that simply “bashing bankers” will not solve the inherent structural problems in the banking system, and urges a considered response to address the issues. Here’s an excerpt: Of course people are angry, and they have every right to be, especially when so [...]
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009
Rough justice could backfire. But as long as unconditional guarantees remain, bankers can take wild risks with impunity The public currently sees bankers and their bonuses through a red mist. Punches are being thrown, like one-off windfall taxes on profits or bonuses, which may feel satisfying but don't connect with the underlying problems. These relate to having a banking system where profit –...
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