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Vince Cable

Vince Cable Quotes

British Politician

Vince Cable is a seasoned British politician born on May 9, 1943. He has held significant positions within the British Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, and has served in various roles within the UK government. Cable is known for his expertise in finance and business, serving as the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

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Famous Vince Cable Quotes

“The fact that John Prescott is being paid large sums of money to do little or nothing adds to the general malaise surrounding this government and the feeling that ministers are incapable of tackling serious issues.”

Littles Facts Feelings Government Issues Serious Paid Add Ministers Incapable Tackling Malaise Serious Issues

Author:Vince Cable

“If the pendulum swings, it may swing to a combination of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and, thus, to a period of minority government or coalition, in some form.”

Ifs May Government Form Periods Democrat Combination Minorities Swings Coalitions Pendulums Minority Government

Author:Vince Cable

“The two policies that Ken Clarke is most famous for are his opposition to the Iraq war and being a very defensible and quite courageous pro-European. These are both policies he shares with us.”

Two War Share Policy Iraq Opposition Courageous Iraq War

Author:Vince Cable

“The Tories are now the party of rural areas and Labour essentially is in the big cities”

Bigs Party Cities Areas Labour Big Cities Rural Areas

Author:Vince Cable

“Taxes shouldn't be higher; they should be fairer. We must be a party that's disciplined. We must make tough choices.”

Should Choices Party Higher Taxes Tough Tough Choices

Author:Vince Cable

“Quite apart from the problem of the vote, it's bad for the image of Parliament that people take the trouble to come up and are not allowed to see their MP.”

People Problem Trouble Vote Come Up Parliament Mps

Author:Vince Cable

“The House has noticed the Prime Minister's remarkable transformation in the past few weeks, from Stalin to Mr. Bean.”

Past House Week Transformation Ministers Remarkable Prime Prime Minister Beans

Author:Vince Cable

“Fundamental renegotiation is very, very unlikely to produce any significant change”

Produce Fundamentals Significant Unlikely Significant Change

Author:Vince Cable

“The government increasingly resembles somebody who is trying to give the kiss of life to a corpse.”

Giving Trying Government Kissing Corpses

Author:Vince Cable

“The Robert Mugabe school of economics provides a salutary warning about uncontrolled monetary expansion in generating hyper-inflation. The road to Harare is not as long as we might hope.”

Long Might School Economics Warning Expansion Inflation Monetary Hyper Mugabe

Author:Vince Cable

“Much of the shadow banking sector, a major contributor to the economic crisis, was also only possible because of taxhaven secrecy.”

Economic Majors Shadow Crisis Banking Secrecy Contributors Economic Crisis

Author:Vince Cable

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

Mean Answers Party Accepting Progress Humility Partnership Treachery

Author:Vince Cable

“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.”

Stills Government Enjoy Support Subjects Higher Protect Research Areas Financial Britain Engineering Minimum Higher Education Competitiveness Financial Support

Author:Vince Cable

“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.”

Needs Mean Has Beens Government Grows Support Higher Protect Training Valuable Determined Wide Private Sector Higher Education Apprenticeship Training And Education

Author:Vince Cable

“Housing associations have fingered the fact that they cannot use their assets as liquidity due to Bank of England rules unlike their continental equivalents. This has emerged to be one of the main bottlenecks to getting investment going in the U.K. It is a Bank of England issue.”

Facts Use Issues England Investment Dues Assets Association Housing Continental Liquidity Bottlenecks

Author:Vince Cable

“I have managed to infuriate the bank bosses; acquire a fatwa from the revolutionary guards of the trades union movement; frighten the 'Daily Telegraph' with a progressive graduate payment; and upset very rich people who are trying to dodge British taxes. I must be doing something right.”

People Trying Rich Movement Taxes Trade Unions British Revolutionary Upset Acquire Boss Progressive Graduates Payment Rich People Dodge Trade Unions Telegraph

Author:Vince Cable

“Investment banking has, in recent years, resembled a casino, and the massive scale of gambling losses has dragged down traditional activities as banks try to rebuild their balance sheets.”

Trying Years Loss Modern Balance Activity Consequence Aspect Investment Financial Scales Traditional Gambling Massive Sheets Banking Lending Retail Casinos Balance Sheets Investment Banking

Author:Vince Cable

“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.”

World Way Years Looks Kind Long Different Term Views Plans Events Taught Valuable Long Term My Time Shells Scenarios

Author:Vince Cable

“The degree of leverage now being reversed is on a staggering scale, and the underlying global imbalances – notably between the savers and the spenders – will require long and painful adjustment.”

Long Pain Degrees Painful Adjustment Imbalance Staggering

Author:Vince Cable

“We have sectors of the economy, aerospace is a good example, where Britain's probably the second country in the world, the automobile sector, where we've done extraordinarily well, an enormous amount of investment over the last couple of years, life sciences is another.”

World Years Wells Country Done Lasts Economy Example Amount Couple Investment Enormous Britain Automobile Good Examples Aerospace

Author:Vince Cable

“We need a new British business bank with a clean balance sheet and an ability to expand lending rapidly to the manufacturers, exporters and high-growth companies that power our economy. Today I can announce we will have one.”

Needs I Can Today Growth Ability Company Economy Balance Clean British Sheets Lending Balance Sheets Economy Today

Author:Vince Cable

“Well, as I said, you know the issue of Greek debt, they've grasped the principle of debt reduction. I think most people would argue that probably more needs to be done on that front, and they've just begun to take the first steps to accepting that there's going to have to be much closer economic integration in Europe.”

People Thinking Knows Needs Firsts Wells Said Done Accepting Steps Principles Issues Economic Fronts Europe Debt Arguing Greek First Steps Integration Reduction Economic Integration

Author:Vince Cable

“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.'”

Ifs Jobs Lying Chance Company Economic Development Claims Oil Shells Attempting Economic Development Oil Companies

Author:Vince Cable

“The worship of youth has diminished - perhaps generally - in recent years.”

Years Youth Worship

Author:Vince Cable

“These 'masters of the universe' must be tamed in the interests of the ordinary families whose jobs and livelihoods are being put at risk. The Tories won't say anything about the current crisis as they are completely in the pockets of the hedge funds.”

Jobs Universe Interest Risk Masters Ordinary Crisis Currents Pockets Fund Say Anything Livelihood Tamed Hedge Fund

Author:Vince Cable

“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.”

Wells Fantasy Economy Achieve Anger British Harm Bob Apology Attacking Taxpayers Outrageous Crow Bonus British Economy

Author:Vince Cable

“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.”

Needs Should Stills Today Form Choices Greater Competition Including Access Scales Mediums Finance Range Diverse Lending

Author:Vince Cable

“I don't feel comfortable with luxury, and I try to stay fairly normal.”

Feels Trying Normal Comfortable Luxury

Author:Vince Cable

“According to the papers, I'm miserable, alienated, and on the brink of resignation. But that's simply not where I am.”

Paper Miserable Papers Resignation

Author:Vince Cable

“I am a bit of a lefty on some issues.”

Bits Issues Lefties

Author:Vince Cable

“I've always been comfortable working with women and I've had two happy marriages. Draw what conclusions you like from that.”

Two Comfortable Draws Conclusion Happy Marriage

Author:Vince Cable

“In my job I meet many outstanding, world class, British based companies. But we need more companies and more jobs in the companies we have.”

World Needs Jobs Company Class British Outstanding World Class

Author:Vince Cable

“So I went into government with a clear mind about what the problems were, and what needed to be done.”

Mind Done Problem Government Clear Needed Clear Minds

Author:Vince Cable

“Where there is flagrant abuse of corporate entities we must and will seek to tackle it.”

Abuse Corporate Entity

Author:Vince Cable

“Banks operate like a man who either wears his trousers round his chest, stifling breathing, as now, or round his ankles, exposing his assets. We want their trousers tied round their middle: steady lending growth; particularly to productive British business, especially small scale enterprise.”

Men Want Growth Middle Rounds British Scales Breathing Enterprise Productive Chests Assets Steady Tied Exposing Lending Ankles Trousers Stifling

Author:Vince Cable

“Billions of taxpayers' money has been wasted in bad deals. The London Underground modernisation, personally negotiated by one of Gordon Brown's team, was a disaster, as the National Audit Office has confirmed.”

Has Beens Deals Team Office London Billions Disaster Brown Taxpayers Modernisation

Author:Vince Cable

“Britain is no longer one of the world's price setters. It is painful. It is a challenge to us in government to explain all that, and it is a pity that the political class is not preparing the public for it to understand how massive the problem is.”

World Problem Government Political Challenges Class Painful Pity Britain Massive Preparing

Author:Vince Cable

“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.”

Thinking Way Needs Ideas Government Growth Pleasure Rich Cutting Taxes Negative Cat Environmental Workers Protection Fats Strokes Old Fashioned Environmental Protection Negative Thinking

Author:Vince Cable

“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.”

Believe Government Purpose Roles Economy Taxes Strategy Active Believer Colleagues Coalitions Laissez Faire Tax System

Author:Vince Cable

“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.”

People Years Firsts Problem Millions Bigger British Debt Legacy Rising Britain Necks Brown Bankruptcy Bigger Problems

Author:Vince Cable

“I know it sounds trite but I wanted to make a difference. Political debates with my father had been fraught because he was uncompromising and explosive but if he taught me one thing it was to air my views.”

Ifs Knows Wanted Political Father Sound Differences Views One Thing Air Taught Debate Making A Difference Explosives Uncompromising Political Debates

Author:Vince Cable

“I made friends with a boy who was a communist when I was 13 and that broadened my political views, but it also brought me into conflict with my father who was very Right-wing.”

Made Political Father Views Boys Conflict Wings Communist Right Wing Political View

Author:Vince Cable

“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.”

Thinking Firsts Real Economy Position Cost Happenings Evidence Down And Financial International Debt Greek Very Positive Financial Markets

Author:Vince Cable

“I'm now happily remarried to a good cook, which encourages me to be lazy. I like to think that I'm a new man, but perhaps I'm not. I offset it by doing the ironing, though. She has a small farm in the New Forest with a herd of cattle, so she serves up a steak and kidney pie made with her own beef.”

Thinking Men Made Forests Cooks Lazy Farms Pie Herds Beef Cattle Steak Kidneys Good Cook

Author:Vince Cable

“Many of our problems are home-grown. Gordon Brown regularly advised the rest of the world to follow his British model of growth. But the model was flawed. It led to the highest level of household debt in relation to income in the world.”

World Problem Home Growth Levels Highest Models Relation British Debt Income Brown Household Flawed

Author:Vince Cable

“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.”

Hard Girl Bits Environment College Exploring Intimidating

Author:Vince Cable

“My job is to support businesses, that means promoting British commerce in the big emerging markets that have been neglected in the past. It means keeping Britain open to inward investors, trade and skilled workers. It means cutting red tape which is suffocating growing companies which create jobs.”

“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.”

Used Wife Wonderful Late India Cooking Fruit Vegetables Shopping Chef Spices Chopping

Author:Vince Cable

“No, and in fact I get a bit frustrated, because I'm actually quite good at one-liners, and I've had hundreds of them over the years, and they sink without trace, and I get very frustrated. Every party conference I really work on the speeches, and I always have two or three things I'm quite proud of, and no one ever remembers them.”

Years Two Facts Remember Three Bits Party Proud Speech Frustrated Conferences Three Things One Liner

Author:Vince Cable

“Our workforce is very co-operative, very flexible, easy to work with and one of the big selling points. The idea that Britain is still back in the labour market of the '70s is utterly bizarre.”

Stills Ideas Bigs Easy Selling Britain Labour Bizarre Flexible Workforce

Author:Vince Cable

About the Author

Born: May 9, 1943
Known for: British Politician
Quotes: 58

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