The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Vince Cable, 69, thinks the "worship of youth" by political parties may be over

Whatever could the subtext be?

By Helen Lewis Published 21 July 2012 10:57

Vince Cable. Photo: Getty Images

In an interview with the Financial Times today, Vince Cable made some intriguing comments about the future of the Liberal Democrats. Asked whether he would ever run for the leadership of the party, he said:

I don’t exclude it – who knows what might happen in the future.

He also said:

The worship of youth has diminished – perhaps generally – in recent years.

and hit back at attempts to portray him as far too left-wing, criticising the "macho right" of the Tories:

When I made my statement on executive remuneration and responsible capitalism, I had some of those backbenchers jumping saying this is socialism or Marxism, they just completely don’t get it.

So, to recap, Vince Cable is not ruling out leading the Lib Dems, doesn't think he's too old to do so at 69, and is keen to talk about how he speaks out on City pay and capitalism, but isn't a frothing left-winger.

Of course, none of this means he is anything less than totally supportive of Nick Clegg, who is

doing a good job and is standing up to the pressures.

PS. The FT interview is well worth a read in full, if you have a subscription. There's a touching section on his two marriages and his love of "strong women:

Olympia, who died of cancer in 2001, was the first of two strong women in Cable’s life. “She would let me watch Match of the Day if I did the ironing at the same time,” the minister jokes. Rachel, the second, keeps horses in the New Forest. Today Cable wears two wedding bands on his finger.

Cable also likes working with strong women. Four out of five of Cable’s private secretaries are female, and when he recently held a meeting to discuss curbs on excessive pay in Britain’s male-dominated boardrooms, four out of the six advisers in the room were women. Cable says he does not have a deliberate policy of employing female staff, but adds: “I’ve always been comfortable working with women and I’ve had two happy marriages. Draw what conclusions you like from that.”

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15 comments

Mon, 2012-07-23 03:40 — Posh Tosh (not verified)

He is preparing for when he is 120 years old; still getting a pension and a parliamentary bonus and lots of cheap dinners on the circuit.

It's hard for old age pensioners like him!

Sun, 2012-07-22 18:13 — Fordy1968 (not verified)

The conclusion I draw from the article is that Vince Cable is a typical Liberal Democrat, in so far as he seems to want to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. People who try to please everyone end up pleasing no one. Perhaps Vince Cable should stick to ballroom dancing.

Sun, 2012-07-22 15:37 — Stuart Eels (not verified)

He thinks he is the Godfather of British Politics, when in fact he is a tiresome little man with a stupid hat, who typically sums up all thats wrong with British Politics.

I,as a one time Lib/Dem will be more than happy to see Clegg Cable and the Lib/Dems vanish at the next election!!!!!!!!!!!

Sun, 2012-07-22 18:17 — Fordy1968 (not verified)

I've noticed his hats too. He does strike me as a bit of a fop, in so far as he deliberately chooses hats that perch on his head with a flourish. Perhaps there is a bit of the Oscar Wilde in him.

Sun, 2012-07-22 09:46 — Silican (not verified)

Cable has played a very clever hand of being in, but not of the government. He has used his position to highlight his differences from policies he signs up to and criticises in equal measure. Arriving late for Osborne's disastrous budget speech, loitering at the entrance and laughing at both sides was pure theatre. Clegg, however much he protests that he served the Liberal cause by tempering the rabid right, will forever be seen as a Tory apologist. The only strategy that the Lib-Dems could use to regain their lost ground would be for Cable to oust Clegg and then bring down the coalition.

Sun, 2012-07-22 04:10 — timely

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Sun, 2012-07-22 09:34 — Lucidus (not verified)

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Sun, 2012-07-22 00:09 — Agent (not verified)

I don't think age has anything to do with it, nor gender, sexuality or race. The way I see it there are three problems:

David Cameron
George Osbourne
Nick Clegg

Sun, 2012-07-22 02:43 — Keir

'nor gender, sexuality or race'

Some sensitivity here?

Sat, 2012-07-21 21:38 — hugh markey (not verified)

Mutton dressed as lamb. Probably 60% of the UK's wealth is owned and controlled by a small proportion of the population.
This 1% is almost all over 55. Besides prep and public schools, gentleman's clubs, inheritance and trust funds are a neat way of keeping the younger notables under control. Even the regimental tie is a way of keeping people under one's thumb. For God's Sake, some undeserving parliamentary MPs have been know to wear one with a Windsor knot.
Politically Vince is invulnerable and will live to an eternity as a minister of state much to Cameron and Osborne's chagrin.
Keep the hat, Vince. It gives you a sinister aura - like the inspector who called in Priestly's play.

Crumbly

Sat, 2012-07-21 21:38 — hugh markey (not verified)

Crumbly

Sat, 2012-07-21 14:21 — Kaj (not verified)

I genuinely believe that had Vince Cable been elected Lib Dem Leader instead of Nick Clegg and Vince would have done a Jack Layton (late Canadian SDLP Leader) and the election result in Canada in 2011 would have happened in the UK in 2010 i.e. the perennial 3rd party leapfrog one of the two big parties but perhaps also splitting the vote in left-leaning constituencies allowing the Conservatives to win in unusual places (for them anyway) but nevertheless I think Cameron's Etonian background would still have left the Tories without the majority in UK. It is really surprising how close the Lib Dems were to winning once rock-safe Labour constituencies in 2010 and I think Clegg being not too dissimilar to Cameron in his background, demeanor, perhaps even beliefs, prevented Lib Dems doing even better.

The thing that I like about Vince Cable is his authenticity and I genuinely believe him to be a real person with a bit of life experience...unlike many in the Westminister village!

Sat, 2012-07-21 16:07 — Herbert (not verified)

What has Cable done that differentiates him from Cameron, Clegg, Osborne, Alexander...?

Sat, 2012-07-21 12:44 — Keir

Cable is trying to say that, because Cameron and Clegg are mere boys, Ed Miliband is one also. But Cameron and Clegg are not mere boys, they are nasty boys. That they don't know what they are doing is secondary.

Ed shows no indication of being either wet behind the ears, or of being nasty. Try again, Cable.