Embley had the pleasure of welcoming Sir Vince Cable who was the Member of Parliament for Twickenham from 1997-2015 and 2017-2019, when he was also leader of the Liberal Democrats. Notably, he served as a Cabinet Minister throughout the coalition government of 2010-2015 as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills.
Sir Vince Cable spoke to our Politics, History and Economics pupils in Years 10 to 13, sharing his philosophy of ‘what makes us human’ and his fascinating reflections on a long and successful career working in economics and politics. In his retirement he is writing about his twin passions, as shown in his newest publication Money and Power: the World Leaders who Changed Economies.
After his talk, the room was flooded with questions, all of which Sir Vince Cable kindly answered, no matter how light-hearted or complex they were, such as wonderings of any super spy secrets. Sir Vince Cable’s determination and knowledge shone through his talk and he had a wonderful impact on everyone in the room.
Reflections from Millie in Year 13: “Listening to Sir Vince Cable talk was a wonderful and unforgettable experience. His passion for politics and economics shone through and inspired us greatly. We have found his four principles of what makes us human – endurance, debate, relationships and personal passion (which in his case consists of dancing) – incredibly insightful. He gave us a unique perspective of his role and the Lib Dem’s role in UK politics. It was an invaluable experience, especially for the politics students in the room, who now have a much vaster understanding of the ongoings of parliament, the roles and duties that Sir Vince Cable held and the reflections on his career that he expressed to us.”