Cable cancels visit in face of student anger

By Peter Wozniak Vince Cable has postponed a scheduled visit to Oxford University today, in the face of planned protests by students over cuts and tuition fees. The business secretary was due to attend a seminar where he would speak about his personal experience of government. A spokesman for Mr Cable stated: “Vince Cable has […]

Sketch: Deputy Clegg neither shaken nor stirred

Given the wide range of policies on which Nick Clegg is hopelessly vulnerable, opposition politicians are not being nearly successful enough in disturbing his placid composure. By Alex Stevenson But then that is the rule of thumb for the new politics, isn’t it? In a world where coalitions roam the earth anything is possible, as […]

Govt ‘can’t guarantee survival of university departments’

By Ian Dunt The government cannot guarantee the survival of all university departments in the wake of the spending review, the universities minister has admitted. David Willetts and business secretary Vince Cable admitted that university departments could be forced to close while appearing in front of the Commons business committee. Mr Willetts admitted that there […]

Cable: Business needs me to bash the banks

By Ian Dunt Business needs a tough government minister willing to ‘bash the banks’, Vince Cable has said. The business secretary told the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) annual conference that his robust rhetoric against capitalism and the banking sector is designed to save the free market from itself. “We are still cleaning up after […]

Hughes draws a line in the sand

By Ian Dunt Simon Hughes has drawn a line in the sand on the row over the spending review, saying Lib Dems would vote against changes to housing benefit unless there are major changes. The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats has developed a reputation for defending the interests of the Lib Dem membership as […]

Clegg comes clean on conscience and cigarettes

By politics.co.uk staff Nick Clegg has spoken honestly about his thought process in the run-up to the spending review – and his smoking habit. Appearing on radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, the deputy prime minister said he had struggled with his conscience over cuts to public spending. “I have spent every day of this process, […]

Maude: Coalition could be permanent

By politics.co.uk staff The Conservative’s coalition with the Liberal Democrats could become permanent, Francis Maude is being quoted as saying. The Daily Mail reported that the Cabinet Office minister told a private gathering on Friday that Nick Clegg could remain deputy prime minister even if the Conservatives won a majority at the next election. “Even […]

Lib Dem poll misery deepens

By Peter Wozniak One of the first polls conducted since the spending review sees the Liberal Democrats suffering their lowest ever rating by pollsters YouGov. The Tories, meanwhile, seemed to escape with relatively minimal damage leading Labour by 41% to 40%. In reality, all the changes, including for the Lib Dems, are within the margin […]

Lib Dem website hijacked

By politics.co.uk staff A website registered with Liberal Democrat headquarters was redirected to a video mocking Nick Clegg for breaking his promise on tuition fees today. The website www.liberaldemocrats.co.uk redirected users to a YouTube video interspersing Mr Clegg’s comments opposing a rise in tuition fees with his statements since entering government. The website has now […]

Clegg speech in full

Read Nick Clegg’s speech on fairness in British society, in full. Introduction This weekend, final decisions will be made on the Comprehensive Spending Review. The Review, which will be announced next week, will be a defining document for this parliament. And a defining moment for the Coalition Government. The decisions we take to tackle the […]