Industry and the Market
Industry and, to a lesser extent, the Conservative Party, have some cause to question the support they might be expected to receive from the Confederation of British Industry and particularly their Director General, Mr Campbell Adamson. Mr Adamson's contribution to the general election campaign suggesting that the Industrial Relations Act had failed and should be abolished was thought by some Conservatives to have contributed to their failure in the country. Now the CBI make another characteristically erratic contribution to the matter of Britain's renegotiation of the Treaty of Rome. Britain will be squeezed out of the European markets they claim, though making no mention of European trade organisations as influential as the CBI who will, undoubtedly, press their governments just as hard to retain the British market by hi-lateral and other trade agreements. The CBI fail to concede the possibility of a European free trade area that is the open aim of many of those opposed to the stifling limits of the Present rules. The inadequacy of the leadership of the CBI is a matter for their Grand Council and their membership. The suppression of information that the CBI undoubtedly has at hand on the views of leaders of British industry who have a right to be heard on the • Common Market is more questionable. Perhaps Mr Campbell Adamson will consider releasing to the public, and to the Prime Minister, whom he has seen fit to advise, that, for example, such major leaders of British Industry as Sir Arnold Weinstock — and it is said, the majority of his board — are almost completely without confidence in the pro-ECC Policy favoured by Mr Adamson, and his president, Sir Michael Clapham, and approach the idea of fundamental renegotiation of the Treaty of Accession with no small enthusiasm. Hardly any wonder then, that, with people like Sir Michael and Mr Adamson in charge, the CBI is losing its attraction for serious British business men. Guest Keen and Nettlefold have suspended their membership. They have not cancelled it, and will wait until October to see whether it is worth their while to continue to subscribe. What can Sir Michael or Mr Adamson offer to persuade them to do so?
No devolution
It is depressing to learn that, as part of his attempt somewhat to improve the image of Conservative policy, and appear to alter without actually doing so the policies on which he failed in the last election, Mr Heath has instructed Mr Prior, the Shadow Home Secretary, to proceed with all possible speed towards the formulation of a programme for devolution of powers to Scotland and Wales. The whole ideology of devolution, which is a fantasy with little real electoral support in either country, was given a particularly virulent twist by Mr Heath's evident willingness, during that dreadful weekend after his electoral defeat, to break up the United Kingdom as quickly as possible, if only he could remain in office. His new schemes, it appears, are to be announced to the Scottish Conservative conference next month: it is to be devoutly hoped that Scotland's Tories will give their leader as short a shrift on the subject as they did last time he proposed it.
Previous page
