The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Cable opens fire on Cameron

Business Secretary attacks the Prime Minister’s immigration speech as “very unwise”.

By George Eaton Published 14 April 2011 12:56

The Lib Dems may have been in an assertive mood recently, but Vince Cable's attack on David Cameron's immigration speech is still remarkable. The Business Secretary described the Prime Minister's comments as "very unwise" and said the speech "risked inflaming extremism". It's one of the most striking acts of disloyalty from a cabinet minister in recent history. One suspects that, were this a single-party government, Cable would be facing the sack. In the age of coalition government, however, the rules of the game have changed.

After all, this isn't the first time that the Business Secretary has attacked Cameron's stance on this issue. Last September he said the immigration cap was "doing great damage" and admitted that he was "at the limit of collective responsibility". Given that the Lib Dems went into the general election promising an amnesty for illegal immigrants and ended up supporting the Tories' unworkable cap, it's hardly surprising that Cable feels the need to reassert his liberal credentials.

But while it's one thing for Cable to distance himself from the Conservative pledge to reduce net migration to "tens of thousands" a year (a policy that did not make it into the Coalition Agreement), it's quite another for him effectively to accuse the Prime Minister of pandering to racists. Yet the early indications are that he will keep his job: as one No 10 source simply told PoliticsHome, "Vince is Vince". But such a sanguine response won't go down well with the Tories, many of whom were frustrated that Cable remained in place after declaring "war" on Rupert Murdoch. They will rightly argue that a Conservative cabinet minister wouldn't receive such lenient treatment. Not for the first time, Cameron will be accused of weakness by his own side.

Special Offer: Get 12 issues of New Statesman magazine for just £12

Tags: Vince Cable David Cameron Immigration

More from George Eaton

25 comments

Thu, 2011-04-14 20:49 — wightangler

reading his critique of Keynes and his own distorted and contradictorary conclusions in his article for N/S- the mind truly boggles how he became Business Secretary...

Fri, 2011-04-15 14:04 — Bill Fraser (not verified)

Another inane irrelevant comment from a Limp Democrat... about as relevant to the real world, as fantasies about little green men from Mars.

Thu, 2011-04-14 21:19 — Luddite (not verified)

Why is it “very unwise” to mention immigration, after all everyone else is talking about it. Or do some on the political-left still think we all live in a wonderful multicultural society. Where everybody gets along and all feel at home. IF!! the responsible parties don't address the genuine concern of millions, 'others' will and with the advent of AV on the cards, politics could become very ugly indeed.

Thu, 2011-04-14 13:12 — Asiseeit (not verified)

Don't worry Vince, racist Dave hasn't got the bottle to sack anybody.

Thu, 2011-04-14 13:21 — Graeme (not verified)

But has Vince got the bottle to resign?

Thu, 2011-04-14 13:42 — Naveed (not verified)

I disagree with the notion that its the 'most striking acts of disloyalty in recent history.' Its poignant to remind you that its a coalition government and it perhaps re-defines the concept of political loyalty given this context. Its good for democracy and exactly how I envisaged an effective coalition to function!

Thu, 2011-04-14 13:43 — Union Steve

Election time again the tory dog whistle is blowing again. Cable resign you gutless bastard.

Thu, 2011-04-14 22:34 — Gracie

Vince is Vince and doesn't he know it? this is why he gets away with murder, he knows that Cameron is too much of a coward to sack him after his last run-in.
Cameron wont sack him because he knows it will bring the coalition down, so the Tories (far be it from me to agree with them) are right, he is getting away with murder and they definitely wouldn't.

Thu, 2011-04-14 13:43 — Lesley (not verified)

Of course he won't resign over this and give up power, title and ministerial Jag though.

Thu, 2011-04-14 22:41 — Gracie

@ Luddite why blame the left?
For what it is worth, I don't mind having the debate and I don't think Dave is a racist. However I question the time he is raising this issue in the run up to the elections and I question why he using immigration as a political football, if what he says is correct this should transcend party politics. I also question why he criticises immigrants for not speaking English while at the same time cutting money from funding English language lessons. No he is not racist but he is a lying conniving hypocritical Tory. Still no change there then.

Thu, 2011-04-14 14:14 — writeoff (not verified)

He won't resign. He sold out the Chagossians, and with it his (stated) principles almost the first week on the job.

Thu, 2011-04-14 23:34 — Mrs Nobody

It's the same old race card that comes out at every election and stokes the fires of discontent it pretends to put out.

In France it's the veil - here it's the numbers game.

Cable's a chancer - I lost all respect for him last year.

Thu, 2011-04-14 14:32 — MBoy (not verified)

What would be the value of Cable resigning over a speech by the PM? Much better value in him staying so that he can continue to criticise the PM in exactly this way.

Thu, 2011-04-14 14:45 — la potenza della speranza (not verified)

Let's face it. It's hardly of Robin Cook proportions is it?

Sun, 2011-04-17 18:07 — Hugh Markey (not verified)

Mediaeval kings, and other high and mighty characters before them, used a jester to say the unsayable.
Did Yorick die in his bed? What was the fate of other celebrity jokers?
On this point, some thought has been give by us to the present Royal Family.
Although there was quite a lot of competition the
Winner by a mile - Prince Philip. He's foreign and he's always letting off steam.
Yes, we know, there have been a lot of Tory politicians who could have filled his role, but why mock the afflicted, or even the dead. { Remember Gerald Nabarro or Sir Tufton Beamish? Your couldn't make it up ]

Pip Pip

Thu, 2011-04-14 14:53 — north london geezer (not verified)

Vince Cable is a coward.

Thu, 2011-04-14 15:22 — Stu (not verified)

Vince is vince... he's got a trump card somewhere that can supposedly bring down the coalition, all it took was 2 sexy girls to tease it out of him... old perv...

Fri, 2011-04-15 07:28 — Luddite (not verified)

Mrs Nobody, nobody plays the race card more then the left. Screaming racist at people who raise genuine concerns about immigration no longer works. The problem for Labour is, millions are applauding Mr Cameron and more worrying still, millions more don't think he has gone far enough. We should also asked ourselves a simple question, with around 1 million young people without employment, do we need any immigration at all?

Fri, 2011-04-15 19:41 — depressed left (not verified)

"Vince is Vince" translation: some old turncoat nobody grasping at power at all cost, but some elements of the media claim he's an educated wise liberal, so let's keep him onboard as the fur coat to our no knickers coalition

Council elections in England, let's rip forth with some EDL rhetoric to shore up the DM vote!

Sat, 2011-04-16 18:29 — Lox (not verified)

Hi Asiseeit, what makes you think Cameron's a racist?

Fri, 2011-04-15 12:07 — crabstix (not verified)

Look, face the facts. Both coalition partners are facing big losses in the May elections. Therefore, Cameron has a go at immigration to attract right wing voters, and Uncle Vince has a pop at Cameron to put some distance between the parties to try and inspire LibDem waverers. There is no real disagreement.

The whole thing is deceitful manipulation of the worse kind. It is so transparent. I hope most voters can see it for what it is a vote accordingly... for neither.

Thu, 2011-04-14 18:41 — Neverwas (not verified)

...perhaps he just meant "unwise" in the sense that fewer immgrants would mean fewer jobs for Libs in social services, legal services, social housing, etc etc?