COALITION ENGULFED IN CABLE’S NUCLEAR FALLOUT

For immediate use – Tuesday 21 December 2010



Attn: NEWS DESKS


POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS


Commenting on news that Business Secretary Vince Cable has been stripped of responsibility for key decisions by his department after comments he made to undercover reporters SNP Home Affairs spokesperson Pete Wishart MP said the LibDem Ministers position was unsustainable.

It was earlier reported that Dr Cable had claimed he could "bring the government down", that being in the coalition was "like fighting a war" and that he could use the "nuclear option" of quitting.


Mr Wishart said:


“Vince Cable’s nuclear threat seems to have exploded in his face and the fallout has engulfed the Tory-led government. His position is totally untenable and he would certainly have been out of office had the UK government not been so totally hamstrung.

“From being a star turn, Vince Cable has become a liability for the LibDems and his remarks lift the lid on the cracks in the Tory-led government.


“Vince Cable’s boasts would be more believable if he had actually used his claimed influence to honour the LibDems pre-election promises on VAT and tuition fees. Instead the LibDems have betrayed voters by caving in to the Tories. We have a Business Secretary who can no
longer make key departmental decisions, and Ministers who vote for policies they campaigned against in the election.


“It seems we only find out what this Tory-led government are really thinking from their unguarded comments – with Vince Cables gaffes following Lord Young’s claims that we’ve never had it so good, and Lord Flight’s suggestion that welfare changes will encourage breeding amongst the poor.”


ENDS