Vince Cable - a dangerous charlatan

[Kakurol]

Back in 2003, Vince Cable asked Gordon Brown (then Chancellor) a question about the growth of the economy vis-a-vis consumer spending and personal debt. That was it. Five years later when the banking crisis occurred the Lib Dems and some quarters of the media decided that this meant that he had some great insight in matters economic despite the fact that he had said nothing of any importance in the intervening time - no warnings of impending financial collapse, nothing.

In the last two years he has come out with the occasional statement as to what he considers to be the best economic policy only to decide the complete opposite just a couple of month later.

Now it seems likely that the Lib Dems will want him as Chancellor in any pact for their support; the man himself just basks in an undeserved glow of sagacity and if he ever came to have any real power regarding the economy he would be a disaster.

Anyone want to defend what I suggest is a totally unwarranted reputation? And don't come out with something like 'well he couldn't do worse than Labour has done' because this question is about Vince Cable not the record of the Labour government.

[jake-the-peg]

Got a link or shall we just take what you say at face value?

[Gromit]

His reputation is based on clever one liners. I particularly liked the one aimed at Gordon Brown when he was acting leader

(Describing Brown): "remarkable transformation in the last few weeks from Stalin to Mr Bean, creating chaos out of order rather than order out of chaos".

On saying that, given the choice of Osborne or Cable, and I would opt for Cable every time. At least he has an opinion and may occassionally flip it. Unlike Osborne who was woeful as Shadow Chancellor during the financial crash, and spent two years looking like a startled rabbit in the cars headlights.