PLAYING TO THE AUDIENCE

I make no apology for attacking spivs and gamblers who did more harm to the British economy than Bob Crow [the RMT union leader] could achieve in his wildest Trotskyite fantasies, while paying themselves outrageous bonuses underwritten by the taxpayer

Vince Cable has made a lot of ink spill over his comments to the Lib Dem conference yesterday and in the Fringe.

However, essentially he is playing to the audience.



Despite the re-birth of economic liberalism in the party, the Lib Dem delegate in general is still the left-wing, fox-hugging, hemp buying, community worker that sees the world like Basil Fotherington-Thomas singing "hullo clouds, hullo sky", thinking the world would be a better place if only people were nice.

You know like those teachers at school who were always on the verge of a mental breakdown as they realised that their lovely progedies were actually evil shits that will have to have civilisation beaten into them by their peers and the playing fields.

So Vince was giving them what they wanted. Bankers are nasty people. Rich people are selfish.

That sort of thing.

The problem is that without the financial world, where does that leave the UK? I really don't have a problem with companies using their own profits to pay workers. I DO have a problem with governments who are major shareholders not stopping banks from paying huge bonuses before they meet their debt obligation to the tax payer.

A distinct difference there Vince.