Cable hits out at newspaper tactics
By Peter Wozniak
Under-fire Vince Cable has said the tactic which saw two undercover reporters from the Daily Telegraph pose as constituents in order to record embarrassing comments “completely undermines” the work of MPs.
The business secretary had some of his ministerial responsibilities stripped from him in the wake of revelations from the sting operation published two days ago.
The reporters, from the Daily Telegraph newspaper, infiltrated Mr Cable’s constituency surgery posing as concerned Lib Dem supporters.
The MP told his local paper, the Richmond and Twickenham Times: “Thousands and thousands of constituents have been to see me, often on very difficult and highly confidential issues which have been respected by me and by them.
“Then somebody who isn’t a constituent falsifies their name and address and comes in with a hidden microphone – it completely undermines the whole basis on which you operate as a local MP.”
Mr Cable has kept a low profile since the revelations on Tuesday, but today claimed the incident meant he would have to be “more guarded” in future and that the relationship between MP and constituent had suffered because of the Telegraph’s methods.
He added: “All my colleagues, of all parties, feel very strongly that some great damage has been done by this.”
Mr Cable’s angry response adds to the growing chorus of criticism for the newspaper, which has targeted eight Lib Dem MPs so far in the sting operations.
