Richmond upon Thames Council convened to bestow the honour of Honorary Freeman of the Borough upon Sir Vince Cable, recognising his decades of public service and contributions to the Twickenham constituency. The motion, proposed by Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of the Council, and seconded by Councillor Andrée Frieze, Leader of the Opposition, was unanimously approved. Sir Vince Cable accepted the honour with a speech reflecting on his 50 years in the borough and his political career.

Admission of Sir Vince Cable as Honorary Freeman

The council voted to admit Sir Vince Cable as an Honorary Freeman of the Borough. Councillor Gareth Roberts introduced the motion, emphasising Sir Vince's dual role as a national figure and a local champion during his time as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Twickenham. He noted Sir Vince Cable's ability to connect with people and his continued support for local charities, even after leaving Parliament. Councillor Roberts also made reference to Sir Vince's appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, remarking that he was:

one of the few people in modern life who, if you just mention a single name, then people will know who you're talking about. People may mention Liberace, they may mention Lulu. And you have Vince. The image conjures up almost immediately.

Councillor Frieze seconded the motion, highlighting Sir Vince Cable's dedication to his constituents and his commitment to collaboration, liberty, and democracy.

Following the unanimous approval of the motion, Andrew Travers, Chief Executive, read the admission, and Councillor Penelope Frost, Mayor of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, presented Sir Vince Cable with the scroll recording his admission as Freeman of the Borough.

In his address to the council, Sir Vince Cable expressed his gratitude for the recognition and reminisced about moving to the borough 50 years prior with his late wife, Olympia, citing the area's good schools, trains, and trees as the reasons for choosing to settle there. He shared anecdotes from his political career, including his time as a Labour councillor in Glasgow and his encounters with both the extreme left and right-wing elements in Twickenham's past. He also spoke of his current work in renewable energy and at the LSE¹, as well as his ongoing commitment to local charities and a historical project documenting his predecessors as MP for Twickenham, which included figures such as Mr Thomas Moore and John Wilkes.