A MAN whose career has spanned a seat at the Cabinet table, a love of ballroom dancing and a passion to help Britain reach net zero, Sir Vince Cable is coming to Dorchester Arts at the Corn Exchange on Friday 1st December at 7.30pm.

It is easy to see politicians as one-dimensional, walking egos, ambitious cynics and worse. But it’s not always like that – some politicians are polymaths, with diverse and surprising interests and skills, and careers that have brought them into contact with people in many different parts of the country or the world.

One such is Sir Vince Cable, a major figure in the Liberal Democrat party, a former Cabinet Minister in the coalition government, ballroom dancer and entrepreneur in an industry which is tackling the climate crisis.

Born in 1943, Sir Vince was leader of the LibDems fro 2017 to 2019, and was MP for Twickenham from 1997 to 2015 and 2017-19. He served in David Cameron’s coalition Cabinet from 2010 to 2015 as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

When not working, he is a father and grandfather and a competitive ballroom dancer, who earned 10/10 from judges Len Goodman and Craig Revel Horwood on a Christmas edition of Strictly Come Dancing!

Since retiring from active politics four years ago, Sir Vince has been writing books on political and economic matters. He is a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics, Nottingham University and St Mary’s University at Twickenham, as well as an honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.

He is a director and chairman of the advisory board of Element 2, a hydrogen infrastructure company., which is organising a network of transport and refuelling hubs for HGVs to help the transport sector transition to a net zero future using ‘green’ hydrogen.

Sir Vince will be talking about his life in politics and after with the journalist and presenter Matt Stadlen.