Steerpike Steerpike

Could Vince Cable be the Lib Dems’ answer to Jeremy Corbyn?

There was a time when progressives thought that politics had become too much of an old boys’ club. In the place of ageing male politicians, liberals called for more women and ethnic diversity in politics. However, times are a’changing.

After Jeremy Corbyn defied all expectations in the snap election by hoovering up 40 per cent of the vote, the Lib Dems could have found their own pale, male and stale answer to Corbyn: Vince Cable.

The 74-year-old announced this morning that he is running to replace Tim Farron as Lib Dem leader. Cable said he was ready ‘to commit my energy, enthusiasm and experience to the task of leading the Liberal Democrats through what will be a period of chronic uncertainty’. If Cable wins, he’ll be the oldest ever leader of the party – and could be approaching 80 by the time he leads the Lib Dems into the next election. Mr S thinks all this marks a big change for the Lib Dems after former leader Ming Campbell was ousted from the post at the age of 66, reportedly for being too old.

In making his decision to stand, it seems that Cable isn’t keen to listen to the advice of his predecessor either; when Campbell was asked why he was quitting as an MP at the age of 74, he told the Guardian:

Still, following Cable’s stint on Strictly Come Dancing, Mr S suspects he’s more likely to waltz around Parliament than dodder.

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