Cable stands by ‘effective’ Huhne
By politics.co.uk staff
Embattled Chris Huhne’s potential resignation would be a “loss” to the government, according to Vince Cable.
The energy and climate change secretary faces allegations that he sought to evade getting speeding points on his driving licence in 2003 by asking another person to take them on his behalf.
He has not yet indicated that he will resign, a move which would leave the Lib Dems having lost two of their original five Cabinet ministers within a year.
“It would be a loss if he went, but he’s not talking about going,” Mr Cable told the Today programme.
“He’s a good, effective colleague. I’ve been working intensively with him in the last few weeks on delivering the green agenda. We’ve come to a good outcome.”
Mr Cable avoided being sacked by prime minister David Cameron after his comments that he was “waging war” against Rupert Murdoch were exposed in a sting by the Telegraph newspaper.
He had his media competition responsibilities stripped as a result, but remains in office and has returned to more loyal comments on the state of the coalition.
“What brought us together in the first place was we had a massive economic crisis. The deficit is the biggest in the developed world, and it’s very difficult and painful making the adjustments in the public sector to bring the economy back into balance,” he added.
A major area of disagreement between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems are the former’s proposed NHS reforms. Earlier this week deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said he opposed one of its most controversial elements, the statutory obligation on healthcare regulator Monitor to promote competition.
“The glue that binds the coalition together is the coalition agreement,” Mr Cable explained.
“The NHS reforms were not part of that, and we’re having a pause, we’re thinking about it, and my party’s making its own independent contribution to that debate.”
