Cable hints at a leadership bid... as Clegg talks of Lib-lab coalition
VINCE CABLE has refused to rule out challenging for the Liberal Democrat leadership – while Nick Clegg admits he is willing to form a coalition with Labour.
Mr Clegg said he would happily keep his current position in government if Ed Miliband becomes Prime Minister after the 2015 general election.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s comments come amid concern from Lib Dems that Labour would not want to form a coalition with their party if Mr Clegg remains leader.
Mr Cable, the Business Secretary, sparked speculation at the weekend that he would like to replace Mr Clegg with an interview in which he said he would consider running for the party leadership one day. ‘I don’t exclude it,’ he admitted. ‘Who knows what might happen in future?’
In a pointed reference to Mr Clegg, who is 45, Mr Cable – who turns 70 next year – told the Financial Times newspaper: ‘ The worship of youth has diminished – perhaps generally – in recent years. There is a certain respect for people who have some insight into what is going on.’
Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls is among those Labour figures to have indicated they would work with Mr Cable, but not Mr Clegg. Mr Cable, a former member of the Labour Party, joined the Social Democratic Party in the Eighties, which merged with the Liberals to form the Lib Dems. In an interview with the People newspaper, Mr Clegg made clear that he would seek to deal with whichever main party did best in the next General Election. ‘If the British people, like they did last time, say no one lot has won, then I’ll be open to working with other parties,’ he stressed.
When asked if he could do business with Mr Miliband, Mr Clegg replied: ‘Yes. If the British people said that the only combination which could work would be those two parties – in the same way as after the last election the only combination which could work was Conservatives and Liberal Democrats – it would be obvious that Liberal Democrats would need to do their duty.’
He continued: ‘ I will never bring personal likes and dislikes into it. I would treat anyone I work with in government with respect even if I don’t agree with them.’
Mr Clegg insists he will fight the next General Election as party leader, but Lib Dem president Tim Farron has been mooted as his successor.
Now Mr Cable’s intervention suggests he would fight for the leadership in the hope of secur- ing the post of Chancellor in any Lib-Lab government.
A source close to Mr Clegg said: ‘People always speculate about every political leader but Nick and Vince work closely together. Nick also talks to Ed
‘Personal likes and dislikes’
Miliband periodically on issues like constitutional reform.’
An ally of Mr Cable’s denied he was plotting a leadership coup. ‘He was asked a question and he answered. He also said Nick Clegg was doing a good job.’ Despite Mr Clegg’s bridge- building, Tony Blair yesterday warned Labour there would be ‘ no point’ in working with another party unless there was agreement over policy.
Appearing on Sky News, the former prime minister said: ‘I’m always a bit of a sceptic about coalitions, frankly. Sometimes you’ve got to do them. But ... there’s no point in having a coalition with people that you don’t really agree with.’
Mr Clegg’s admission is likely to irritate Tory MPs. His open courting of Labour will anger potential coalition rebels who have been told they must toe the line and support Lib Dem pet projects in order to preserve the stability of the Government.