Vince Cable tells Andrew Marr that Cameron vetoed EU Treaty for party political reasons

Comments

[It doesn't add up...]

Does Marr only interview Lib Dems these days, and does he like stretching out a story because he has nothing useful to contribute?

[Iain]

Was it part of the coalition agreement to give the libdems the right to mouth off against the Conservatives any time they feel like it?

[Edward Huxley]

Iain, above, The LibDems couldn`t believe their luck when Cameron offered them power so he could be PM. Now he is stuck: he knows and they know that they can go on critcising the Conservatives and Cameron will do nothing about it.

I don`t rate Cameron at all, but my opinion of Messrs Clegg, Cable and Huhne is not fit to print.

[Elaine Turner]

The big, long term problems in Europe are in the hands of the players over there. We have never been in the inner circle and there is absolutely nothing we can do to resolve the enormous problems they have. The only reason our interest rates are lower than the French is because we are not in the Euro.. think on that naughty French politicians - we know our economy is in dire straights.

I am glad that Cameron exercised the veto for party political reasons... it has done his standing within the party, and indeed the country, no harm whatsoever.

I do wonder what sort of mushrooms the Lib Dems have with their wheaty bangs that they can still pursue the political, ideological ideal of a united Europe!

[Harry Hill]

So Cable told the truth. Dave is in thrall to any tin-pot idea or faction if it looks like ending his tenure. Never was such a shallow man made prime minister.

[Anne Allan]

The LibDems are breaking Healey's 'First Rule of Holes'; i.e. when in one, stop digging.

[Phil Kean]

They all make we want to throw up.

Just listen to it all. Propaganda, scare-stories and distortion - all in order to keep the British people locked into an undemocratic, outdated, unsustainable Socialist bloc.

He says the Eurozone is a problem we must address, and that it is there and won't go away.
Well, YES, the problem is there. And it's following the policies of people like him and his kind that MADE the British people vulnerable, over-dependent and over-committed to what was widely predicted as being a totally unworkable economic model.

And what is the Europhile solution to Britain's over-commitment to the EU? - Yep, more political and economic integration.
Somehow we must rip the agenda away from those whose ideology demands that Britain sacrifices the age-old safeguards which has enabled the British people to remain democratic, prosperous and at peace, no matter how badly managed other countries have been.

If we had have followed the politics of common sense, Britain would now be an economic and military mini-superpower, with manageable debt levels, watching at a safe distance as the EU Principality States scratch around trying to save themselves from certain economic and political oblivion.
.

[Joe DeMocritus]

Again the BBC reporting is dominated by a pro-EU bias.

We need an investigation into the lack of balance at the BBC and impose a big cut in its funding if it doesn't presenet balanced reports

[WHS]

I have time for Clegg, but Cable seems to think collective cabinet responsibility is something that applies to other people. He should be sacked by Cameron.

[Edward Huxley]

I just heard Cable on the World at One, usual stuff about three million British jobs depend on our being a member of the EU.

But of course Cameron believes this too. Why doesn`t he transfer with his like minded Tory MPs to the LiberalDemocrat party? There`s hardly any difference bwetween them.

[John Parkes]

I believe Cameron`s decision to exercise the veto was correct. The amount of propaganda coming out since from France and Germany in particular, criticising his action adversely, reinforces that view.
The EU heard that phrase `we`re all in this together` and by extension seemed to suppose we would allow ourselves to be dragged into this Eurozone lunacy by default, which supposition was a grave error.
Therefore if a majority here also support the use of the veto, it seems to me that whatever was Cameron`s primary reason for exercising is unimportant. The decision was a good one and it has exempted the City from the spite of the Eurozone in general and Sarkozy in particular; and if Brussels seeks to implement its effects by other means, then we should do as the French would do in similar circumstances and ignore them.

[Patsy Sergeant]

Reply to 'Harry Hill' @ 01.pm.

'So Cable told the truth'... the 'truth' perhaps, but no more. As for 'shallow' think Huhne, Clegg, Hughes and indeed Oakshott, but Cable - no, he qualifies as a 'turncoat' and no more!

[robert]

In the Coalition David Cameron can discipline Conservatives and Nick Clegg the Liberal Democrats.
Consequently Cable can go on acting like an idiot without acting responsibly in the National Interest and Clegg will do nothing about it.

[Juan Sheet]

We owe Sarkozy our gratitude. Suppose he had agreed to the modest and limited requirement of Cameron, what then? Cameron would have signed the agreement. The lib dems would have cheered and we would have lost for ever the competency to set our own budgets. Do the likes of Cable and Clegg believe that the UK would be spared the austerity requirements that are being thrust upon other members? Clearly, they have not thought this through.

[ukipwebmaster]

There was no Treaty to veto.............

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2075507/Dont-forget-cheered-Chamberlains-victory-too.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/8963280/Well-soon-forget-the-David-Cameron-veto-that-never-was.html

However here is a possible treaty that Dave couldn't use a veto on:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100124818/revealed-the-text-of-the-new-euro-treaty/

[MartinW]

Even since the dreadful day the 'coalition' cam into existence, the Lib Dems have repeatedly criticised the Conservatives and ridiculed policies that they disagree with, as often as they have fancied. Is it not time the Conservatives did the same. Not sotto voce as has been the way to now, but with the loud pedal on. We need to get them unsettled, on-edge, angry and mutinous - all ready for their voluntary withdrawl, and a forced general election.

[Holly]

Looking forward to the RESHUFFLE next year????

I hope Cameron is being a cad.
Doing stuff that appears 'innocent' on the surface, but are intended to annoy the Lib Dems to such an extent they leave the coalition in a fit of rage.
If so....So far, so good.

[Malcolm Dunn]

What amazes mew is that the Conservative parliamentary party puts up with this. Surely we should at least be telling the electorate what the consequences of signing up to the Merkozy inspired treaty would be. If the Liberal Democrats want to severely damage the financial services industry in the UK they should say so to the British public loud and clear. If they don't the Conservative parliamentary party should do it for them. We should all also question the patriotism of people like Cable and Oakeshott. To me it looks deeply suspect.

[Andrew Smith]

Is it picky to point out there was no Treaty on the table to vetoe?

[robert]

The Liberal Democrats are not patriots but the enemy within.
Time for the Conservatives to start planning their strategy for an election in May 2012.

[Account Deleted]

Cable is of course right that the so called "veto" was just a political gesture that failed to stop the treaty and did nothing to protect the City. Cameron needs to do much much more.

[Paul Booth]

THe BBC Cable/Marr report says we are part of the Eurozone. If the decision was largely political and Cameron is now more popular it surely means that that the PM did what the country wished for.