No, Prime Minister
YOU may wonder why Paul Eddington has exchanged 10 Downing Street (and Yes, Prime Minister) for Dartmouth Road, Smethwick — the less historic home of Birmid Qualcast, the metal-bashers. Taste- ful television commercials show Mr Eddington explaining that Birmid make bits and pieces for other people's branded products. lie is not allowed to explain why Birmid is suddenly splashing out like this, but I can explain that it is fighting for its life against a takeover bid, and wants its shareholders' support. That is certainly a legitimate message, and arguably a neces- sary and urgent message, but one that the Takeover Panel censors. Two years ago the Panel imposed a ban on advertisements which 'might be used as a vehicle for argument', because it patronisingly thought they created a bad impression. Since then, companies with bids on their hands have had to imitate the cigarette makers, who would use cigar commercials to get their name over, tacking the word `cigars' on the end. The ban came at a low point for the Panel, which proved to be concentrating on impression at the expense of reality, was being fooled wholesale by Guinness and others, and is now under new management. The new management should let Mr Eddington, talking to a grown-up audience, say what he means.
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