Another day, another survey showing Vince Cable to be the British Obama*

By Stephen Tall | Fri 23rd January 2009 - 6:37 pm

In fact, this one came yesterday and we at LDV missed it. But frankly it’s becoming almost passé to note that the Lib Dems’ shadow chancellor is more trusted than any other politician to sort out the current financial crisis. Still it’d be a shame not to record the moment, as measured by a ComRes survey of 220 business leaders for the Independent:

Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, who predicted that the housing and personal debt bubble would burst, enjoys more trust in the business world than Mr Brown, David Cameron, the Chancellor Alistair Darling and his Tory counterpart George Osborne. Some 58 per cent of the 220 businessmen polled are confident in Mr Cable’s ability, 56 per cent say the same about Mr Cameron, 34 per cent Mr Osborne, 30 per cent Mr Brown and only 15 per cent Mr Darling.

And before it’s pointed out by any lurking trolls, ’tis true I’ve cut off the following sentence from the above paragraph:

Mr Cable also outshines Nick Clegg, his party’s leader, who enjoys the confidence of 21 per cent.

For what it’s worth, I (i) don’t find this especially surprising, (ii) don’t find it cause for concern for the Lib Dems, nor for Nick, and (iii) am actually pleasantly surprised that Nick’s ratings are some way above those of Alistair Darling.

For years and years, the Lib Dems have struggled to gain any form of credibility on the economy: now we have a party leader who ranks above the Chancellor, and a shadow Chancellor who ranks above everyone else. That’s what I call progress.

* with apologies for the gratuitously shoe-horned reference to the new President. But it’s now officially compulsory to mention him in reference to any political event.

2 Comments

Another Anonymous 24th Jan '09 - 3:44pm

So if you compare apples with apples and oranges with oranges then-

Cameron is on 56, Brown 30 and Clegg only 21.

Cable is on 58, Osbourne 34 and Darling 15.

The Leader trails his peers and the Treasury spokesperson leads his by miles.

I have to say i don’t take this very seriously if only because a sample of 220 “business leaders” whoever they are will have been very self selecting. I also suspect its a case of cable having done unusually well recently rather than Clegg unusually badly. However I’m not sure I’m as sanguine as Stephen Tall is. Its part of a famlar and now well established picture.
Clegg's Candid Friend 24th Jan '09 - 5:27pm

Indeed. And while I’m sure Stephen Tall was trying to be a loyal cheerleader when said he was “pleasantly surprised” that Nick Clegg was more popular than Alistair Darling (!), I doubt many people will find that tremendously reassuring …

Nick: "Jobs are right at the heart of the Lib Dems’ agenda"

"Lib Dems set to name 7 new peers for House of Lords"

EU in/out referendum bill - will Lib Dem MPs abstain?

The Morrissey Report: "No excuses" says Caron Lindsay