Vince Cable (born 9 May 1943) is a British academic, company director, writer and former politician. He led the Liberal Democrats from 2017 to 2019. He was the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade in the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government from 2010 to 2015. He served as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (MP) for Twickenham for 20 years. He retired from Parliament in 2019.
Sir Vince Cable | |
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Leader of the Liberal Democrats | |
In office 20 July 2017 – 22 July 2019 | |
Deputy | Jo Swinson |
Preceded by | Tim Farron |
Succeeded by | Jo Swinson |
Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson | |
In office 8 May 2017 – 20 July 2017 | |
Leader | Tim Farron |
Preceded by | The Baroness Kramer |
Succeeded by | The Baroness Kramer |
In office 12 June 2003 – 11 May 2010 | |
Leader | Charles Kennedy Menzies Campbell Nick Clegg |
Preceded by | Matthew Taylor |
Succeeded by | Danny Alexander (2015)[a] |
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills President of the Board of Trade | |
In office 12 May 2010 – 8 May 2015 | |
Prime Minister | David Cameron |
Preceded by | The Lord Mandelson |
Succeeded by | Sajid Javid |
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Acting | |
In office 15 October 2007 – 18 December 2007 | |
Preceded by | Menzies Campbell |
Succeeded by | Nick Clegg |
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats | |
In office 2 March 2006 – 26 May 2010 | |
Leader | Menzies Campbell Nick Clegg |
Preceded by | Menzies Campbell |
Succeeded by | Simon Hughes |
Liberal Democrat Trade and Industry Spokesperson | |
In office 9 August 1999 – 12 June 2003 | |
Leader | Charles Kennedy |
Preceded by | David Chidgey |
Succeeded by | Malcolm Bruce |
Member of Parliament for Twickenham | |
In office 9 June 2017 – 6 November 2019 | |
Preceded by | Tania Mathias |
Succeeded by | Munira Wilson |
Majority | 9,762 (14.7%) |
In office 1 May 1997 – 30 March 2015 | |
Preceded by | Toby Jessel |
Succeeded by | Tania Mathias |
Personal details | |
Born | John Vincent Cable 9 May 1943 York, England |
Political party | Liberal Democrats (1988–present) |
Other political affiliations | Liberal (Before 1965) Labour (1966–1982) Social Democrats (1982–1988) |
Spouse(s) | Olympia Rebelo (1968–2001) Rachel Smith (2004–present) |
Children | 3 |
Alma mater | Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University of Glasgow |
Website | Official website |
a. ^ Office vacant from 12 May 2010 to 7 January 2015. |
Early life and education
changeCable went to Nunthorpe Grammar School in York. He studied natural sciences and economics at the University of Cambridge. He was also President of the Cambridge Union.[2]
Career
changeEarly career
changeHe worked as an economist. His first job was as an ODI Nuffield Fellow, serving as a Finance Officer in the Kenya Treasury.[3] He taught Economics at the University of Glasgow (while studying part-time for a PhD).[4] He was a First Secretary in the Diplomatic Service and Director of Research at the Overseas Development Institute.[5] He was also a Special Adviser to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, then Head of International Economics at Chatham House. He worked in Shell’s planning department before becoming Shell’s Chief Economist.[5]
He first took part in politics as a member of the Labour Party. He served on Glasgow City Council and stood for Parliament in Glasgow Hillhead in 1970.[6] He helped write Gordon Brown's Red Papers on Scotland and later advised John Smith when he was Trade Secretary under Prime Minister James Callaghan.[7] In 1982, he joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which later formed the Liberal Democrats. He ran for Parliament in York in 1983 and 1987, and in Twickenham in 1992, but did not win. In 1997, he was elected as the MP for Twickenham.[8]
Parliament and Cabinet
changeHe was the main economics spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats from 2005 to 2010. In 2006, he became the party's Deputy Leader, and in 2007, he served as Acting Leader. He helped write the Orange Book and often spoke out against risky banking practices and growing debt before the financial crisis.[9] His book The Storm, which explained the crisis, became a Sunday Times Number One Bestseller.[10]
In May 2010, there was no overall majority in the general election, so the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats formed a Coalition government. Cable became Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade, and he stepped down as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats.[11] He later wrote about this period in Partnership and Politics in a Divided Decade (with his wife, Rachel Smith) and in After the Storm.[12]
During his five years in office, his first goal was to push banks to lend more to businesses after the financial crisis. He introduced rules to ring-fence high-risk lending from other banking activities and helped create the British Business Bank.[13] In 2011, he launched the coalition's Industrial Strategy, which included the Aerospace Growth Partnership and the Automotive Propulsion Centre. He set up the Green Investment Bank and the Catapult network and greatly expanded apprenticeships.[14][15]
He passed laws to set up a register of beneficial ownership, control zero-hour contract abuses, require shareholders to vote on executive pay, extend the time before unfair dismissal claims apply, allow shared parental leave and flexible working requests, protect supermarket suppliers and pub owners, and strengthen copyright protection. He also led the controversial privatisation of the Royal Mail.[16] He worked with the Universities Minister, David Willetts, to change university funding, which included the unpopular increase in tuition fees.[17]
Within the coalition, Cable often argued with Conservative colleagues about the EU, immigration, workers' rights, housing, and public investment. He almost left the government when a private conversation was made public in which he criticized Rupert Murdoch while handling the BSkyB takeover bid.[18]
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
changeAfter Tim Farron resigned as Liberal Democrat Leader after the 2017 general election, and Cable returned to Parliament, he became Leader of the party without any opposition. His time as Leader was dominated by Brexit, and he committed the Liberal Democrats to supporting the People's Vote campaign for a new referendum on Brexit.[19]
He had a minor stroke and announced he would resign. However, in 2019, he led the party to its best local election results in 20 years, winning 700 seats and 11 councils. In the June 2019 European elections, he used the slogan "Bollocks to Brexit", and the party won 16 seats with 20% of the vote. He stepped down as Leader on 22 July 2019, and his Deputy, Jo Swinson, took over.[19]
Personal life
changeHe married Olympia Rebelo in 1968, and they had three children: Paul, Aida, and Hugo.[2] She died in 2001. In 2004, he married Rachel Wenban-Smith.[2]
He took part in the BBC’s Christmas 2010 Strictly Come Dancing show.[20] He did not win, but he received a “ten from Len.” He was the second politician on the show (after Ann Widdecombe) but the first to compete while still serving as a government minister.[21]
Since leaving Parliament, he has been active in universities and in business. He has been a Professor in Practice at the LSE School of Public Policy, a Distinguished Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute, an Honorary Fellow at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Nottingham and St Mary's University. He also has an Honorary Doctorate from Kingston University.[22][23]
In business, he is the Chair of the Board of Element 2 (a hydrogen infrastructure company) and the Chair of the eFreight 2030 consortium.[24][25]
His most recent books include Open Arms, a novel,[26] Money and Power,[27] the Chinese Conundrum,[28] Partnership and Politics in a Divided Decade,[29] and How to be a Politician.[30]
References
change- ↑ "Vince Cable". Desert Island Discs. 18 January 2009. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cable, Vince (23 August 2008). "My week: Vince Cable". The Observer. Guardian News & Media. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "The politics panel". Alumni – University of Cambridge. University of Cambridge. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "University of Glasgow news item: Sir Vince Cable". gla.ac.uk. University of Glasgow. June 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Former business secretary Vince Cable knighted by Prince Charles". Herald Scotland. Newsquest. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Vince Cable (profile)". Money Marketing. Centaur Media. 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Vince Cable – BBC election guide biography". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Sir Vince Cable". UK Regional Growth directory. Harvard University. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ Pack, Mark (20 April 2024). "The Orange Book – 20 years later". Institute of Economic Affairs Insider. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ Behr, Rafael (20 February 2010). "The Storm by Vince Cable – review". The Observer. Guardian News & Media. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable – Open weekend session". The Guardian. 24 March 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ Mullin, Chris (4 October 2015). "After the Storm – review". The Observer. Guardian News & Media. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ Watt, Nicholas (23 September 2012). "Vince Cable reveals £1 bn backing for business bank to help small firms". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Industrial strategy revamp puts UK on path to long‑term growth, says Cable". Financial Times. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ Carrell, Severin (28 November 2012). "Green investment bank officially launched by Vince Cable". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Royal Mail privatisation 'priced too low', MPs say". BBC News. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ Shepherd, Jessica (9 June 2010). "David Willetts hints that university students will face higher fees". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Rupert Murdoch bid row: Cable criticised over remarks". BBC News. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Liberal Democrat leadership: Sir Vince Cable to stand down". BBC News. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Dr Cable: From Saint Vince to Mr Bean (Editorial)". The Guardian. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Vince Cable to star in Christmas Strictly Come Dancing". BBC News. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Sir Vince Cable – School of Public Policy". London School of Economics. LSE. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Former Liberal Democrats leader Sir Vince Cable awarded honorary doctorate from Kingston University". Kingston University News. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Hydrogen pioneer Element 2 appoints Sir Vince Cable as chair". Financial Times. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "eFreight 2030". Innovate UK Business Connect. UK Research and Innovation. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ Leith, Sam (1 September 2017). "Open Arms by Vince Cable – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "Money and Power by Vince Cable – review". The Times. 13 February 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "The Chinese Conundrum: Why China's Rise Threatens the West – review". The Independent. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ "In conversation with Sir Vince Cable". Edge Hill University events. 21 February 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ Hinsliff, Gaby (14 September 2022). "How to Be a Politician by Vince Cable – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2025.