Vince Cable has his finger on the button apparently... (Merged)

[clapham_gull]

Whoops....

BBC News - Vince Cable said he could quit coalition if pushed

"I have a nuclear option; it's like fighting a war. They know I have nuclear weapons, but I don't have any conventional weapons. If they push me too far then I can walk out and bring the government down and they know that."

 

[Lord Bracknell]

All it needs is for Simon Hughes (LibDem Deputy Leader, but not in the government) to get sufficiently pissed off with something the government does and he'll push Cable over the edge.

The whole edifice will collapse.

 

[Big G]

Blah Blah Blah. Political publicity bullshit. This will be the closest the Libdums will ever come to power and they know it!!! Political suicide to go renegade now so can't see it happening!

 

[RexCathedra]

They can't all land on their feet in the nine or ten -- and LibDems could be down to that -- Somerset, Devon and Cornwall constituencies they can still expect to carry next general election. Musical chairs has better odds -- there's n-1 chairs, where n is the number of players. The LibDems face a far harder equation. They may be in the coalition, but they were net -5 seats in the last election.

 

[Gwylan]

They can't all land on their feet in the nine or ten -- and LibDems could be down to that -- Somerset, Devon and Cornwall constituencies they can still expect to carry next general election. Musical chairs has better odds -- there's n-1 chairs, where n is the number of players. The LibDems face a far harder equation. They may be in the coalition, but they were net -5 seats in the last election.

This true and it may be that those seen as being outside the coalition have better chances. I can certainly see Simon Hughes surviving in Bermondsey and I bet Charlie Kennedy stays on but I don't fancy Nick Clegg or Danny Alexander's chances - unless they change seats.

 

[Chicken Run]

This bloke has absolutely 0 credibility, how many people on here were lording him as the peoples hero, how wrong they were, spineless ****!!

 

[Dandyman]

There is a combination of the AV vote and Council elections in 2011. Poor results for the Liars Party could have interesting knock on effects on their party unity.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

How absolutely arrogant of the prick. Tried to take all the credit for predicting the recession - over-inflated windbag, get rid. Exactly the sort of thing that makes people hate politicos.

 

[withdeanwombat]

He's a LibDem.

He'll say whatever is popular today,and change tomorrow.

Like all these LibDems he is not to be trusted.

Please let the edifice collapse so that we can see the end of these self seeking buffoons.

 

[jimhigham]

All it needs is for Simon Hughes (LibDem Deputy Leader, but not in the government) to get sufficiently pissed off with something the government does and he'll push Cable over the edge.

The whole edifice will collapse.

Unlikely that the whole coalition would come down simply because of Cable's departure. With the LibDems showing around 8-10% in current polls they simply cannot afford to collapse to coalition right now, as the pasting they would receive in any new election would be huge. At the moment the only strategy they can reasonably hold is to tough it out in the hope that the recovery continues and they can recover their position.

Weird that having spent the better part of 60 years chasing power the LibDems find that actually gaining some measure of it has all but destroyed their short-term prospects.

 

[beorhthelm]

i think Cable over estimates his importance, or indeed misunderestimates his own desire to have some power and influence. He's actually doing more than i think many realise, theres a lot of changes on combating tax avoidance (no public notice of it though) that seem to be coming from his presence.

the coalition doesnt need to hold together long anyway, just long enough for the AV vote and the bundled reduction of MPs and equalising/redrawing of the boundries.

 

[The Oldman]

This bloke has absolutely 0 credibility, how many people on here were lording him as the peoples hero, how wrong they were, spineless ****!!

Agreed

 

[Pavilionaire]

The Torygraph want to see a Tory majority government so have an agenda to attack the Lib Dems at every turn.

Clearly, with the Lib Dems and Tories there are not going to have to be compromises but BIG compromises. The evidence seems to be that the Lib Dems ARE fighting their corner for fairness and forcing the Tories to tone down some policy decisions. Isn't that a good thing?

At the end of the day Labour f***ed this country up good and proper, while the Tories weren't strong enough to win an overall majority. Yet in "blame culture Britain" it's the Lib Dems who are the whipping boys.

Ideally, the Tories and Lib Dems would be left to get on with the business of government but it would appear there are too many forces that wish to see the Lib Dems obliterated, as if that is the solution to all our ills.

 

[glasfryn]

Election next year .........................you heard it here first
23.3 billion borrowed in November = largest ever borrowed in November in any year
middle classes are revolting .................I think they are awful too......daa daa

gets coat

 

[The Oldman]

Now he is taking on Murdoch saying he has declared war on the media baron. I wonder who will win?

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

If I was Cable I would shut up and concentrate on the job in hand not go gobbing off to anyone who would/will listen.

 

[beorhthelm]

If I was Cable I would shut up and concentrate on the job in hand not go gobbing off to anyone who would/will listen.

its difficult for LibDems to break the habit of their political lifetime.

 

[The Oldman]

Reckon he could resign by the weekend

 

[Don Quixote]

He has to go really, I wonder who will replace him. Probably Danny Alexander, he'll do anything for a cabinet job. Then they will bring back the old Chief Sec.

 

[Titanic]

The only thing he needs to button is his lip. He has made himself look rather silly, bragging like that.

And with the latest stuff about Murdoch, he really is stuffing both his feet firmly in there with his wagging tongue. Oh dear, hero to zero in one interview