Vince Cable
| The Right Honourable Vince Cable MP |
|
|---|---|
| Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 12 May 2010 |
|
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | The Lord Mandelson |
| Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats | |
| In office 2 March 2006 – 26 May 2010 |
|
| Leader | Sir Menzies Campbell Nick Clegg |
| Preceded by | Sir Menzies Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Simon Hughes |
| Liberal Democrats Treasury Spokesman | |
| In office 12 June 2003 – 11 May 2010 |
|
| Leader | Charles Kennedy Sir Menzies Campbell Nick Clegg |
| Preceded by | The Lord Taylor of Goss Moor |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Member of Parliament for Twickenham |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 |
|
| Preceded by | Toby Jessel |
| Majority | 12,140 (20.3%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Vincent Cable 9 May 1943 York, England |
| Political party | Liberal Party (Before 1965) Labour (1966–1982) Social Democratic Party (1982–1988) Liberal Democrats (1988–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Olympia Rebelo (1968-2001) Rachel Smith (2004–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge; University of Glasgow |
John Vincent "Vince" Cable (born 9 May 1943 in York, England) is a British politician who is the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government. He is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Twickenham.
Vince Cable studied economics at university and became an economic advisor to the Kenyan government in 1966. He was an advisor to the British government and to the Commonwealth Secretary-General in the 1970s and 1980s. He served as Chief Economist for the oil company Shell from 1995 to 1997. In the 1970's, Cable was active in the Labour Party and became a Glasgow councillor. However in 1982, he joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) which would go on to form the Liberal Democrats and he unsuccessfully contested seats in the elections of 1983, 1987 and 1992 until being elected as the MP for the London constituency of Twickenham in the 1997 general election.
He was the main economics spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats from 2003 to 2010 and became the Liberal Democrat's Deputy Leader in 2006. In May 2010, a coalition government was formed between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats and Vince Cable was made the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. He has promised a 'very radical overhaul' of the state pensions system. He resigned from his position as Deputy Leader in May 2010.[1]
Cable was a contestant in the BBC's Christmas 2010 Strictly Come Dancing contest. He did not win. [2] Cable was the second politician to appear on the show, after Ann Widdecombe.[3]
References [change]
- ↑ "Vince Cable Resigns!". Iaindale.blogspot.com. 26 February 2010. http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2010/05/vince-cable-resigns.html. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
- ↑ "guardian.co.uk". The Guardian (London). 22 December 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/22/dr-cable-vince-mr-bean.
- ↑ "Vince Cable to star in Christmas Strictly Come Dancing". BBC News. 16 November 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11767413. Retrieved 2101-11-16.
