Vince Cable appeared at the Leveson Inquiry today and was asked about his handling of the News Corporation bid for BSkyB. In December 2010, Vince Cable told two undercover reporters from the Telegraph that he had 'declared war on Mr Murdoch and I think we are going to win' and was stripped of making the decision.

This was a bid of huge importance for the media landscape, worth £8 billion, and Vince Cable was supposed to be dealing with it with the utmost professionalism and impartiality. Instead, he showed a degree of indiscretion and incompetence such that the decision had to be taken from him. 
 
On a bid of huge importance for which his Department had responsibility, he mishandled it.