Sir William Armstrong
The decision of the Midland Bank to invite Sir William Armstrong, the permanent head of the civil service until June 30, to join their board and to become chairman next year is inexplicable. The decision of the Prime Minister to waive the Esta rules which lay down that senior civil servants do not accept employment for two years with civil concerns with which the state has a trading relationship is strange coming at a time when the lessons of the lesser known aspects of the Poulson trial are being studied. Sir William is in receipt of the highest pay in the civil service. His pension is generous. It is the custom to accept that senior civil servants are gods walking among men. Though it is doubtful whether we'd be in the mess we are in if these civil servants were not every bit as thick as the rest of us. The Prime Minister would set a commendable standard by ensuring that Sir William sits back for the regulation two years and that if the Midland still cannot get on without him he comes back from retirement.
Needless to say the question that concerns thinking opinion is the matter of bank profits and in
Previous page
