Cable Comments with Vince Cable

Zero Carbon is one of the rare areas of consensus in British politics. Boris Johnson seems no less committed than then opposition parties. But energy security concerns now take centre stage. More serious, public support is shallow and politicians have been unable to resist popular demands to cut taxes on fuels. There is now an emerging movement demanding a referendum on zero carbon

The podcast is a look back at the Spring Statement now that the dust has settled and we have a chance to look at reactions as well as the content. A generous view is that Sunak is saving his ammunition for a fiercer economic battle in the autumn but he runs the risk of doing too little too late.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has mobilised and unified Europe, the NATO alliance and the majority of countries in the UN. However key countries like India and Pakistan, South Africa and Nigeria and leading Middle Eastern countries and, above all, China have declined to take sides, at least openly. How these self-declared neutrals react to a continuing war will be crucial. Link t

I look at the likelihood of the conflict spreading beyond the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And in particular the unpredictable consequences of the widening sanctions net and the impact of the war on energy and food supplies. Link to article: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/russia-ukraine-nuclear-weapons-war-b2030870.html Sir Vince Cable is the former leader of the Liberal Demo

This podcast deals with the horrific invasion of Ukraine by Putin’s Russia; the mistakes that were made which have contributed to the war and the lessons to be learnt. Now there are key issues to be faced. Sanctions will not work if they exclude the energy sector. We have to engage countries like India and China with close links to Russia. We have to arm the Ukrainians as best w

In this week's episode, I look at the extreme uncertainty around Russia’s intentions in relation to Ukraine, have focussed mainly on the military consequences of an invasion. There would also be an economic shock through energy and other commodity markets. We have the two oil shocks of 1974 and 1980 as a precedent. There are also potential wider implications for business if the S

This week's episode deals with Chinese objectives and the Western diplomatic boycott which has so far failed in its objective to make human rights particularly in Xinjiang the focus of the Games. Link to article: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/beijing-olympics-boycott-human-rights-b2010135.html#comments-area Sir Vince Cable is the former leader of the Liberal Democrats and s

It has become common-place to talk about ‘populism’; but what does it mean? And what is the reason why otherwise seemingly stable democracies throw ups the likes of Trump and Johnson? I draw on some recent analysis using data science which challenges some fashionable ideas: that populism originates in inequality or as a response to immigration. Link to article: https://www.inde

Clinton's campaigning slogan seems out of place amidst the political chatter about partygate and the rumblings about war in Ukraine. But the government's credibility hinges on economic performance. There are worrying trends: a slowdown in post covid recovery and rising inflation which has been underestimated. Sir Vince Cable is the former leader of the Liberal Democrats and served

Democracy is in danger on several fronts: internally, in the USA especially, with the refusal of the Republican Party to accept the results of elections; globally with a slide to semi-democratic, semi-authoritarian regimes in many countries; and physically with the threatened Russian attack on Ukraine. I discuss the prospects for President Biden’s Alliance of Democracies. Sir Vin