Vince Cable MP

Chuka Umunna said there was a broad consensus on light touch regulation and that it was supported by the Tories and the Lib Dems. "I do take issue with some of the comments made by Dr Alexander because actually a lot of the things that h... Continue to article

Vince Cable downplayed suggestions he could be hauled in front of the Chancellor’s ‘star chamber’ for failing to agree enough cuts to his departmental budget. “I don’t think so. What is happening and what will happen is that we have perf... Continue to article

Baroness Kramer said the Liberal Democrats supported Labour’s call for an end to universal winter fuel payments for pensioners, but called on Ed Balls to set out a more thorough economic plan. “We’ve particularly said that we ought to lo... Continue to article

Vince Cable said the UK was not seeing enough bank lending to small businesses, identifying action in this area as fundamental to economic recovery. "Small business lending is the key to recovery, and we’re not seeing much action on that... Continue to article

Vince Cable acknowledged some people were “slipping through the cracks” of Britain’s welfare system after a report warned that more than half a million people were using food banks. However he rejected the comparison between food banks i... Continue to article

Vince Cable said society needed to do more to tap into the potential of women in the business sphere. "The evidence we have so far is that the start-up rate for companies in the UK is probably higher than it’s ever been. Evidence is a bi... Continue to article

Vince Cable said the Royal Mail would not make enough profit to survive if it remained publicly funded. "It’s a declining business and in order to help the Royal Mail survive and in order to help them deliver the Universal Service Obliga... Continue to article

Vince Cable hinted at a future bid for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats, admitting he could “never” rule out running for the top job. However the Business Secretary firmly rejected the suggestion from Education Secretary Michael G... Continue to article

Vince Cable said tax avoidance by multinational companies was not the fault of HMRC. “The HMRC are there to enforce the law and if the company had managed to operate legally, then it’s not a failure by HMRC. I think we do have a job to d... Continue to article

Vince Cable said public anger at the tax arrangements of companies like Google and Amazon was “absolutely justified”. “There is public outrage, it is absolutely justified. And, particularly if you are a small company which can’t relocate... Continue to article

Vince Cable said the debate within the Conservative party on the question of an EU referendum was causing "uncertainty" and "making life difficult" for investors. “Well, you know, some Conservatives have got a real bee in their bonnet ab... Continue to article

  Vince Cable said the Government would be introducing some long-term reforms on social care and pensions that would last "for a generation". "There are some very big, long-term reforms. Pensions is one, the social care provision, so ... Continue to article

Vince Cable criticised former chancellor Lord Lawson’s call for a British exit of the EU. “Nigel Lawson’s a terribly clever guy, but I think he’s often wrong on the big issues like climate change and this. And I think the problem he has ... Continue to article

  Vince Cable said the Lib Dems and the other major parties needed to "take the UKIP phenomenon seriously". “[UKIP] have taken support from us, and Labour, but most of all from the Conservatives. "We don’t know where they’re headin... Continue to article

Vince Cable said Iain Duncan Smith had raised an important question about whether universal benefits should continue, but said it would be “difficult to address” the issue before the next election. “People can deal with it in different w... Continue to article

Danny Alexander said the continuing sluggish growth in the economy proved the difficult environment which the UK was dealing with, and warned there was no “magic wand” to boost the economy. “We’re operating in a very tough environment, o... Continue to article

Vince Cable refused to commit to a targeted spend on science as a proportion of GDP. “I certainly share Sir Paul's [Nurse, President of the Royal Society] priority. He’s absolutely right, we have worked with our science, certainly since ... Continue to article

Vince Cable said different branches of government would work together to ensure the minimum wage was enforced. “It’s absolutely necessary that the minimum wage should be paid and that nobody in the country should be paid less than the mi... Continue to article