Vincent Cable

http://www.libdems.org.uk/vince_cable

Vince Cable MP
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills

Vince Cable has been the MP for Twickenham since 1997.

Vince went to Nunthorpe Grammar School, York and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge where he read Natural Science & Economics and was President of the Union, followed by a PhD when he was lecturing in economics at Glasgow University.

He has been a Treasury Finance Officer for the Kenyan Government; a First Secretary in the Diplomatic Service; Special Advisor on Economic Affairs for the Commonwealth Secretary General; head of the economic programme at Chatham House; and was Chief Economist for Shell UK at the time of his election to MP.

Record Of Delivery
Vince has a strong record of delivering for local people:

i) working with the Chamber of Commerce and local employers, like the National Physical Laboratory, to support business and jobs

ii) campaigning and working with local police to reduce anti-social behaviour and graffiti

iii) supporting the two local district hospitals in their rebuilding and defending the community hospital in Teddington and local mental health services

iv) as Patron of local charities helped to launch and develop the children’s hospice (Shooting Star) and day respite centre (Homelink)

v) has championed local schools, especially the two new academies; the adult education and further education colleges; and Britain’s latest university, St Mary’s, Twickenham

vi) has campaigned (so far successfully) against further Heathrow expansion

Vince lives in Twickenham. For recreation he dances at a local dance school, cycles around the constituency and walks in the Royal Parks or along the Crane and the Thames.

Parliamentary Experience
After entering Parliament, Vince became Shadow Trade & Industry Minister until 2003, when he was made Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer until the 2010 General Election. Vince was Deputy Leader from 2006 until after the 2010 GE, during which time he was Acting Leader from October to December 2007.

In his parliamentary career, Vince secured large numbers of debates on issues such as policing (he was chair of the All-Party Police Group), victims of crime, cancer screening, bee research, anti-bribery legislation, financial mis-selling and banks. He successfully piloted through private members legislation on copyright piracy.