Trade v. Industry
THE BOARD of Trade does not meet very often these days, because the Archbishop of Canterbury finds it hard to make the time, but it goes back to the eighteenth century. The Department of Industry derives from the corporatist 1960s, when a grandiose title had to be engineered for Edward Heath. He became Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development and President of the Board of Trade, to name but a few. Trade and Industry still make an uneasy ministry. Trade people (as you would expect) are classical free-traders. Industry is all for intervention and fancies itself at backing winners. In Whitehall's most rapidly revolving chair, Michael Hesel- tine yearned to intervene before breakfast, but Nicholas Ridley believed (as Gordon Brown said) in an empty in-tray, an empty out-tray and a full ashtray. Now Peter Man- delson is there to put his own spin on the language of Industry. He has told his staff what his priorities are: 'The further enrich- ment of Britain's science and engineering base, the permeation of the information society throughout business, fostering enter- prise and innovation, exploiting Europe's single markets and preparing for the euro.' All this and the Dome, too. The telephone will never stop ringing. Bring back the Arch- bishop.
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