It was one of the most remarkable – and unsubtle – public attempts to sweet-talk a political rival in living memory. By the end of The Andrew Marr Show, Labour's Ed Balls had made no fewer than 12 first-name references to "Vince".
In return, the Liberal Democrat Business Secretary said he was "very happy to talk to Ed" – just as he was to his "Conservative colleagues" in the Government.
As the Liberal Democrat summarised his philosophy of combining centre-left principles with the promotion of a market economy, Mr Balls said: "Sounds right to me."
He gushed: "Vince has distinguished himself by always making the argument about what's right for Britain."
But Mr Cable played hard to get, telling him: "Flattery doesn't necessarily deal satisfactorily with the issue."
Mr Balls laughed at the brush-off as he knows "Vince" isn't available yet. But that could change in a hung parliament in 2015, with Mr Cable susceptible to Labour's overtures.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies