Monday, September 29, 2008
Vince Cable rules OK
Courtesy of Jenny Rigg (heck, I even stole her artwork) and Sara Bedford, I bring you Radio Four's Vince Cable fan club. The fun bit is here at 8.10am. If this is an example of how the Today programme will be treating the Tories I may have to reconsider listening to Radio Wales in the morning rather than Radio Four.Sara Bedford has a transcript of the really interesting bits of Evan Davis' interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and his Tory shadow. Apologies for reproducing her whole post but I just know how difficult it is for you all to click on the links:
Evan Davis gave both Alistair Darling and George Osbourne a dressing down over their economic failures, telling them:
“You both represent this part of the very same system of deregulated capitalism that has got us into this.”
But the best part came when he spoke directly with George Osbourne. Davis said:
“It sounds to me like I should vote for Vince Cable. Vince Cable was against demutualising the building societies back in the 1990s when your government was doing that. Vince Cable was sending me as an economics editor emails every three weeks, about the levels of debt through the last five years and he has been instrumental in saying that the taxpayer needs to be protected nationalising the banks and in having the upside risks as well as the downside ones are the way to go. Why if I am angry would I vote for you over him.”
Osbourne had no response, except to make snide remarks about looking forward to ince supporting a Conservative budget proposal. Evan Davis, sensing a back foot move when he saw one, went for the jugular.
“Do you know as much about economics as Vince Cable, George?”
The surprise and stuttering in Osbourne’s voice could not have been greater if Davis has produced his famed intimate jewelery and dropped if on the table at a family dinner party. He sounded as though the most unpleasant remark had been made by an outsider at an upper class dinner party (and having been to several Tory Conferences in the 1990s representing my employer, that’s exactly how you can be made to feel).
“Well, er, I, er, oh, er …”
“He was the Chief Economist at Shell!”
offered Davis, helpfully.
“I was not Chief Economist at Shell, but, er um I do spend a lot of time talking to people across the economy .”
said Osbourne. Even over the airwaves you could sense him looking around for his press aide, hoping to be told that the time was up and he needed to go and discuss fashion trends for Autumn with Lorraine Kelly.
Many (non-party) commenters on my post saying what a shame it is that a man of Vince's obvious talent and insight isn't in a position to be running the economy right now...
"Err, I've been warning this would happened for nearly 5 years..."
: 10:18 PM : 11:24 PMA unique bit of economic enlightenment came my way this week by a garage mechanic: America and the UK wanted to lead the way in the world as regards stock exchanges go, that why the respecive governments of America and the UK pretty much let them do as they liked.
VC was right to point out about the demutualising of the Building Societies, I'm sure that both Northern Rock and Bradford and Bingly had been around for many years, but within a short period of time as a plc they both went under.
If Vince Cable isn't available to run the economy of the country, there is a garage mechanic in Taibach who can do a much, much better job that the aforementioned Darling or Osbourne.
: 10:02 PMHe was Chief Economist of (fascist)Shell for 2 years. Wow! What's so great about the fascist polluters of Shell?_
You don't get that far up the corporate latter without having something special about you.
: 6:46 AM<< Home
