Vince Cable says the Coalition must remain committed to "redistribution" for its full five-year term

By Jonathan Isaby

Patrick Hennessy has an interview in tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph with Vince Cable, in which the Business Secretary is asked what are his "red line" issues for remaining in the Coalition Cabinet.

Insisting that there must be "evidence of fairness" throughout the term, he expands:

"It's a cliched word but redistribution – and a tax system that means people at the bottom end of the scale pay less and at the top end of the scale pay more. I worked for some years to get us committed in our party to what we call fair taxes, lifting low-paid people out of tax, we got that in the coalition agreement and it was in the first Budget. So I'm content that that's being carried forward."

He also talks about pressing ahead with a graduate tax to fund higher education, rules out a Conservative/Lib Dem merger and "dismisses talk of an electoral pact" between the parties.

The report also says that "Cable makes it clear that losing next year's referendum on changing the voting system for general elections would not lead to the Lib Dems tearing up the coalition agreement".

The full interview is not yet online, but here is the shorter news piece summarising the main points.