Vince Cable live webchat Tuesday 20 December 1.30-2.30pm

Many thanks for your questions - some of them were very testing. I'm sorry if time didn't allow fuller replies to some of the more difficult and complex issues.

AvadaKedavra

Has Mr Cable heard of the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign against 50% cuts to the Tax credits enhancements for disabled children that the Government is proposing/has proposed which Mumsnet is also supporting?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_campaigns/1361867-Cuts-to-benefits-paid-to-families-with-disabled-children-what-do-you-think?pg=1

What are your thoughts on this matter?

I think it is very low to sneak in a cut like that to the absolutely most vulnerable people in society, who cannot fight back.

Also what are your thoughts on the fact that Mr Cameron in PMQs last week lied about the cuts saying there would be none?

Thank you for your time.

I don't know the answer to your question, without checking, but I am sure my colleagues wouldn't knowingly take steps which damaged disabled children. I'll raise it with colleagues.

eggmayo

Thanks for answering my question Vince, but it's not really the "working together" part that I have an issue understanding.

Working together is fine and of course I understand the strains of coalition. But every day in the people I choose to work with I look for compromise - they'll give a little on this, I'll give a little on that. But then they ask me to sacrifice beliefs I have held dearly for years, and I have to say "no, sorry, I can't do that, no deal."

My concern is this - you are the acceptable face of the coalition - you're given a licence to come on here and joke around and say the coalition is a "nightmare" - but do you ever worry that in doing so you're just legitimising time and time again the Tories getting away with murder. When is enough enough for you? When do you refuse to go on making the jokes?

Just two thoughts, really. Sorry if you're offended by attempted humour, I think most people prefer it. I don't accept that we let the Tories get away with murder.

We drive hard bargains and I was very pleased yesterday that we got a significant agreement to proceed with radical reform of the banks. Recently I was pressed to do things which would have undermined employees' basic rights in the workplace, but didn't go along with them. That's the way we operate, fighting our corner.

I don't know what the line is I wouldn't cross until I get to it.

fabuless

Isn't all the talk about a different type of capitalism just a way to get us to accept being poorer?

I don't quite know what you're driving at. I think Churchill once said that capitalism, like democracy, was not a good system, but it just happens to be better than the others. Nobody has yet come up with an alternative model which works and some of the experiments with communism in particular have been an unmitigated disaster.

Mamie

I should like to ask Vince Cable if he feels he has been successful in convincing fellow members of the government of the importance of business, trade and industry in the UK beyond the narrow confines of the City of London and the financial services industry? How does he view the current wave of anti-European sentiments coming from parts of the Conservative party and the media in terms of its long-term impact on Britain's economic development?

I have been strident in arguing the case for rebalancing the economy away from banking and the City of London and some key policies in my department are helping us to achieve that: innovation support, training, the Regional Growth Fund and Green Investment Bank; export support and supply chain financing. The banks and hedge funds do not speak for Britain and we are proceeding with radical reform of the banks – going further than the EU.

Mamie

I should like to ask Vince Cable if he feels he has been successful in convincing fellow members of the government of the importance of business, trade and industry in the UK beyond the narrow confines of the City of London and the financial services industry? How does he view the current wave of anti-European sentiments coming from parts of the Conservative party and the media in terms of its long-term impact on Britain's economic development?

I totally agree that we shouldn't let the City of London be the tail that wags the dog. I recently spoke out criticising this obsession with City institutions. We need to support economic growth in all parts of the country and boost our very high quality manufacturers in particular. We have to stay within the European Union and improve its single market.

absentgrana

I should like to know why universities come under the umbrella of business rather than education and, given the way the liberal arts and languages have been dismissed by this coalition, is there a plan to change the nature of further education simply to training for employment?

Universities are grouped with business because the last government believed (and we agreed) that universities are crucial to the economy. They are a big export industry (overseas students) and crucial to preparing the UK for the ‘knowledge economy’. There is a critical shortage of engineers in particular. But liberal arts and languages are equally valued and there has been no change in the relative support levels given to arts and sciences (sciences have expensive labs and so always received greater subsidy). In FE we have protected the budget which supports adult learning including non-vocational courses.