In what can only be described as underhand tactics, it is revealed that the right wing Daily Telegraph has claimed another scoop. Hot on the heels of the MPs’ expenses affair, this time they had the high ranking Liberal Democrats in their sights. Vince Cable did not disappoint when he freely expressed his concerns over the mighty Murdoch Empire taking on full control of BSKYB and uneasiness about the Coalition Government, generally.
The damage to the fragile Government by such a huge figure within the Coalition Cabinet is clear for all to see, apparently, not so for the opportunistic bunch at the top of the Tory and the Lib Dem Party. The Tories are fuming at the prospect of Vince Cable still being kept in the Cabinet with some of his powers being stripped and passed to Jeremy Hunt. This is the same Jeremy Hunt, who in the past has praised Rupert Murdoch and BSKYB. How, this decision, to pass the responsibility to oversee the process to hand total control of BSKYB to Murdoch is now almost guaranteed.
What is not clear is that several other members of the Coalition who make up the Ministerial team from the Lib Dem Party have also been captured on tape criticising current Government policy such as the cuts to Housing benefit and proposed cuts to Child Benefit. They all seem to have escaped any form of political censure.
This all smells of convenience politics where misdemeanours’ of any kind are acceptable as the cost for continuing to support the Coalition Government. The Tory backbenchers have been proven right; what they always knew to be true, that the Lib Dem Party do not really care for their policies and are sniping at them, in private.
The current time may pass with Vince Cable still at the helm as the damaged Business Secretary. Questions will continue to be asked how such a senior figure can make such a public blunder and his ability to be doing the job and enjoy the confidence of his party members.
The wider question remains, the by – election soon to be held in Oldham East and Saddleworth seat. Will the Tories put in the effort to cause a major upset or line up behind their Coalition partners to help them to victory? This is the first real test of public opinion since the student fees’ protests.
Labour does have its work cut out to keep the seat with the odds stacked against them. This is a big job for Ed Miliband to put pressure on the discredited and out of step Coalition Government. It is the right time to put forward policies that appeal to ordinary people of Oldham.
I am sure Vince Cable along with his leader Nick Clegg will be at hand to provide the much needed support. I am still wondering will the Cable gate affair lead to further revelations by the Press friends of the Tory Party and loathers of the Coalition Government. The probability is there may be some more gems to come during the normal period of dull news coverage, over the festive season.
Let’s wait and see!
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Semra Eren-Nijhar 