Cable: “Murdoch war claim improved my reputation”

By Paul Walter | Thu 19th July 2012 - 8:54 am

If you missed it, it’s worth listening to yesterday’s PM from Radio Four. It includes an interview with Vince Cable over lunch (stuffed aubergine and jelly for afters, since you asked). In the discussion, Vince says that his reputation has been improved in the long run by his “I’ve declared war on Rupert Murdoch” comment, caught on tape by under-cover Telegraph reporters. He also says that you need to avoid using irony in government.

The interview is available on BBC iPlayer here under the “18/7/2012” edition.

BBC online have a news story about Vince’s comments here:

Vince Cable has said his reputation is “unchanged or better” since having his ministerial responsibilities reduced for declaring “war” on Rupert Murdoch.

The comments led to the business secretary being stripped of responsibility for Mr Murdoch’s planned takeover of broadcaster BSkyB.

But he told the BBC his instincts had been “broadly right”, when he made the remarks to undercover reporters.

Mr Cable added that he intended to stay “outspoken when I feel it’s necessary”.

* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.

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2 Comments

jason 19th Jul '12 - 9:10am

The whole reason Jeremy Hunt was able to take his ‘biased’ position foreward was Vince’s failure to ‘keep his ego in his pants’; so the idea of awarding brownie points to his is rather ‘off’.
I listened to the interview and my main impression was the lack of basic manners by Vince and the interviewer. Not once during the ordering or receiving a dish was “Please” or “Thankyou” uttered.
Steve Way 19th Jul '12 - 9:42am

But he wasn’t outspoken, his indiscretion was made in what he thought was a private conversation. When you’re in the wrong take it on the chin, don’t do a Tony Blair and start trying to reinvent history Vince, you are better then that…