77 replies to this topic

[Millman]

Vince Cable may abstain from vote on tuition fees

What is Cable trying to prove here?

[fieldofclothofgold]

this coalition ,especially the libdem part is getting more intriguing all the time.How can he back a policy then say he may abstain from the vote?
I think when the libdem's implode Clegg join his natural party ,but Vince Cable!! i think he's lost his way.I used to have a lot of respect for him

[ckn]

this coalition ,especially the libdem part is getting more intriguing all the time.How can he make and actively promote a policy as the responsible government Minister then say he may abstain from the vote?
I think when the libdem's implode Clegg join his natural party ,but Vince Cable!! i think he's lost his way.I used to have a lot of respect for him

Changed that to be more accurate.

[Steve May]

Vince Cable may abstain from vote on tuition fees

What is Cable trying to prove here?

The man's a joke, even more so than the rest of his party.

How can he promote a policy that he can't bring himself to vote for.

If he had any balls he'd resign from the government so he could vote against it. Either that or he should shut up and vote for it.

[fieldofclothofgold]

Changed that to be more accurate.

can't wait for PM question time Clegg and Cable should get destroyed

[WearyRhino]

Cable has been moving steadily from left to right since his student days at Cambridge. As he is MP for Twickenham, I guess we should have expected him to play an unfathomable, rather corrupt game with a rule book even those supposedly playing alongside him don't understand.

[Steve May]

I thought when the coalition government was built we might see some Tories disagreeing with the Lib Dems, or possibly some disagreement between the left and right of the Lib Dems. Never for one moment did I think we'd see an individual Lib Dem disagreeing with himself.

This sort of behaviour is often a sign of mental distress. I recall it used to be fashionable to call into question Gordon Brown's sanity, (indeed, some contributors to this site used to do it), so it does seem appropriate to ask if Vince Cable has lost his marbles and speculate on whether or not his next public appearance will involve him running naked down Whitehall, jumping up and down shouting "I'm a balloon, burst me!"

[WearyRhino]

I thought when the coalition government was built we might see some Tories disagreeing with the Lib Dems, or possibly some disagreement between the left and right of the Lib Dems. Never for one moment did I think we'd see an individual Lib Dem disagreeing with himself.

This sort of behaviour is often a sign of mental distress. I recall it used to be fashionable to call into question Gordon Brown's sanity, (indeed, some contributors to this site used to do it), so it does seem appropriate to ask if Vince Cable has lost his marbles and speculate on whether or not his next public appearance will involve him running naked down Whitehall, jumping up and down shouting "I'm a balloon, burst me!"

[Trojan]

Surely the point is that the Lib/Dems made a signed pledge not only to not increase tuition fees, but to abolish them. No doubt this pledge was responsible for their taking a lot of votes from Labour in constituencies like Mr Clegg's. Certainly in Leeds North West. It is fair to guess that without this pledge Cable wouldn't even be a minister. Certainly not in a coalition with the Tories. How many votes did they take from Labour in seats where the Tory won? Without the pledge British politics today would look very different. Of course Cable should resign, whatever he does he's wrong. He signed the pledge. He signed the Coalition agreement. He's the minister responsible for this policy. The three positions are incompatible.

[Steve May]

Of course Cable should resign, whatever he does he's wrong. He signed the pledge. He signed the Coalition agreement. He's the minister responsible for this policy. The three positions are incompatible.

Possibly should read..

"Of course Cable should resign, whatever he does he's wrong. He signed the pledge. He signed the Coalition agreement. He's the minister responsible for this policy. He doesn't support the policy personally. The four positions are incompatible."


Mind you, in my experience of campaigning against Lib Dems it's not unusual to find them arguing one thing in one place and something completely opposite a few miles down the road. Perhaps he thinks that the Lib Dem approach to local issues is just as valid on national issues.

[WearyRhino]

Mind you, in my experience of campaigning against Lib Dems it's not unusual to find them arguing one thing in one place and something completely opposite a few miles down the road. Perhaps he thinks that the Lib Dem approach to local issues is just as valid on national issues.

That hits the nail on the head. Fortunately, come next May they will be arguing amongst themselves as to how it all went so wrong. 40 years of developing strong local electoral bases, taking key councils, and campaigning for PR all thrown away for a few moments at the Despacth Box and a ministerial car.

[Aristotle]

It's becoming more apparent that the LibDem's have been stitched up in this coalition. Unfortunately for them, they were too naive as a party to see it (but the grass-roots are beginning to realise it) and those at the top were blinded by the lure of perceived power. When it all goes t*ts up, the Tories will blame them for not implementing Tory policies and the LibDem's will be slaughtered at the next election. Hindsight (that wonderful tool) says that leaving the Tories to become unpopular as a minority government would have been the best policy for them. As it is, they've blown it big time.

[shrek]

It's becoming more apparent that the LibDem's have been stitched up in this coalition.

I'd agree.

Whilst I didn't vote for them at the last election I am developing a bit of sympathy for them. Clearly we are not mature enough as an electorate for any sort of coalition government were things may not be so black and white.

The Labour MPs barracking on this mornings Today in Parliament was far from endearing, sounded like a right rabble, who seem to have forgotten they brought in tuition fees and instigated the Browne report.

Edited by shrek, 01 December 2010 - 07:31 PM.

[Bitofaboogie]

There is only one less principled politician in this country than Vince Cable and that is Nick Clegg.

I hope the voters give them the mother of all shoe-ings next May along with their voting reforms as well.

I've always been a supporter of PR in principle but I'm going to vote against it just because the likes of Clegg and Cable will be championing it.

Tosssers.

[Millman]

There is only one less principled politician in this country than Vince Cable and that is Nick Clegg.

You're being a bit unfair there. There are bound to be worse, it's just that they're not in the limelight at the moment.

Ken Clarke has always struck me as somebody who is poorly principled, but that manages his PR so well that people on the other side of the political argument generally like him. Meanwhile he's busy taking hundreds of thousands of pounds from the tobacco industry that directly contributes to the deaths of thousands of people each year.

Vince cable has gone from everybody's favourite LibDem, to a lame duck in a matter of months. There's no point in telling him to man up a bit and make a fuss, he's a LibDem afterall.

[waistline expansionist]

There is only one less principled politician in this country than Vince Cable and that is Nick Clegg.

Harman on Iraq

Harman on racism

Harman on flexible working


They're all a bunch of spivs.

[JohnM]

can't wait for PM question time Clegg and Cable should get destroyed

Why? Are they both Prime Ministers ? I'm Spartacus....

The only thing rEd Miliband has destroyed is his father's dreams.......

Edited by JohnM, 02 December 2010 - 10:49 AM.

[Steve May]

The only thing rEd Miliband has destroyed is his father's dreams.......

It's kind of funny that you resort to intrude on this thread by using the ridiculous "Red Ed" name calling while simultaneously accusing Ed Milliband of destroying his genuinely "red" father's dreams.

It's one or the other...you can't have both.

Edited by Steve May, 02 December 2010 - 12:08 PM.

[Steve May]

There is only one less principled politician in this country than Vince Cable and that is Nick Clegg.

I hope the voters give them the mother of all shoe-ings next May along with their voting reforms as well.

I've always been a supporter of PR in principle but I'm going to vote against it just because the likes of Clegg and Cable will be championing it.

Tosssers.

Having thought about it a lot, I've persuaded myself that PR is a good thing. I'd like to be able to vote for PR in the forthcoming referendum, but I won't have that choice.

So I'll be voting No, presumably so will Nick Clegg given that he considers it a "miserable little reform"

[JohnM]

It's kind of funny that you resort to the ridiculous "Red Ed" name calling while simultaneously accusing Ed Milliband of destroying his genuinely "red" father's dreams.

It's one or the other...you can't have both.

Resort? If you'd said intrude, like intrude on a thread primarily reserved for ridiculing Cable, then I'd agree.

So OK. then the only thing has will destroy is his hairdressers reputation.

whatever, he is an irrelevancy. Labour is now contolled and bankrolled by Liverpool Militant supporter "Red Len" McCluskey.