Vince Cable Quotes

A collection of quotes by Vince Cable.

Vince Cable is a prominent British politician, economist, and author. He was born on May 9, 1943, in York, England. Cable served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Twickenham from 1997 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2019. He is associated with the Liberal Democrats party.

Cable studied economics at the University of Cambridge and later obtained his PhD from the same institution. He started his career as a lecturer at Glasgow University and then served as an economist for the Kenyan government. In the 1980s, he worked for the Royal Dutch Shell Group, gaining extensive experience in international oil markets.

In 1997, Cable entered politics and won the Twickenham parliamentary seat. He became known for his expertise in economics and was appointed the Liberal Democrats' shadow chancellor in 2003, a role he held until 2010. During this time, he accurately predicted the impending financial crisis of 2008.

Cable served as the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, and Skills in the coalition government from 2010 to 2015, where he played a vital role in managing the economy in a challenging period. He implemented policies to support businesses and promote apprenticeships.

Throughout his career, Cable has written several books on economics, globalization, and the role of the state in the economy. He retired from politics in 2019 but continues to be a prominent voice on economic matters in the UK.

My late wife Olympia was Goan and I've been to India many ti

My late wife Olympia was Goan and I've been to India many times. I love the food there. We used to do our shopping in Southall, where you can find cheap but wonderful fruit like mangoes, vegetables and spices. I didn't do much of the cooking, as Olympia did a lot - I was the under-chef and did some of the chopping.

I am going to confront the old-fashioned negative thinking w

I am going to confront the old-fashioned negative thinking which says that all government needs to do to generate growth is cut worker and environmental protections, cut taxes on the rich and stroke 'fat cats' until they purr with pleasure. I'm completely repudiating the idea that government has to get out of the way.

Environmental

Now the main areas of higher education that still enjoy cons

Now the main areas of higher education that still enjoy considerable financial support from government are subjects like engineering and science and the research ringfence which is the basic minimum to protect Britain's scientific competitiveness.

Education

And humility in politics means accepting that one party does

And humility in politics means accepting that one party doesn't have all the answers recognising that working in partnership is progress not treachery.

Politics

I think what is happening is I think first of all there is c

I think what is happening is I think first of all there is confidence in the U.K. economy. We're in a German rather than a Greek position in international financial markets, which is very positive and keeps our debt service costs down, and we're also beginning to see real evidence of rebalancing.

Positive

My college, Fitzwilliam, was pretty good but unfashionable a

My college, Fitzwilliam, was pretty good but unfashionable and I lived in digs so I was not part of the cloistered 'old college' environment, which frankly was a bit intimidating. But I worked hard and settled in by exploring politics and girls.

Politics

When my job was attempting to predict future economic develo

When my job was attempting to predict future economic developments for the Shell oil company, I was frequently reminded of an Arabic saying: 'Those who claim to foresee the future are lying, even if by chance they are later proved right.'

Future

For wide swaths of training and education there are valuable

For wide swaths of training and education there are valuable spillovers which mean that the private sector needs support from the government. That is why I have been so determined to protect and grow apprenticeships and put higher education on a sustainable footing.

Education

You can't win with some people. If you're not in government,

You can't win with some people. If you're not in government, you're criticised for being not serious. If you are in government, you're criticised for wanting power. That's the Labour party's line of attack, and it's a bit ridiculous.

Government

The food in the House of Commons is fairly good. The cafe in

The food in the House of Commons is fairly good. The cafe in Portcullis House is really very high quality, and you also have a choice of eating in the more traditional restaurants, the Churchill Room or the Members' Dining Room. I don't often eat in them, though, as I'm usually on the run.

Food

I fear that the rising personal bankruptcies and repossessio

I fear that the rising personal bankruptcies and repossessions are the first signs of bigger problems to come and personal debt - Gordon Brown's legacy to millions of Britain's families - will hang like a millstone around the neck of the British people for years to come.

Fear

My time at Shell was a most valuable experience because it t

My time at Shell was a most valuable experience because it taught me to look at the world in a long-term way. Shell takes a 20-year view on events and plans for different scenarios. It makes you see the world as a kind of large matrix.

Experience

I clearly believe a lot more than some of my coalition colle

I clearly believe a lot more than some of my coalition colleagues - Tories - in redistribution and using the tax system for that purpose. I also believe in the government having an active role in the economy, which is having an industrial strategy. I'm not a believer in laissez-faire.

Government

Small- and medium-sized businesses need access to a diverse

Small- and medium-sized businesses need access to a diverse range of finance options, including non-bank lending. These new forms of finance are still small in scale today but they should, over time, bring additional choice and greater competition to the lending market.

Finance

On banks, I make no apology for attacking spivs and gamblers

On banks, I make no apology for attacking spivs and gamblers who did more harm to the British economy than Bob Crow could achieve in his wildest Trotskyite fantasies, while paying themselves outrageous bonuses underwritten by the taxpayer. There is much public anger about banks and it is well deserved.

Anger