08 May 2005

An unusual Minister

Charming reminiscences from Brian Wilson about becoming a Government Minister in 1997. An example:
'The next day, I arrived at my new Whitehall office - the size of a tennis court
- in Dover House. Its previous occupant had been Raymond Robertson, the Tory
education minister, and the pictures on the walls reflected his penchant for
sailing ships. I asked if it might be possible to replace them with some decent
modern Scottish art from the vast government collection. Six months later, the
ships were still sailing and had become symbols of the message: "Things change
slowly around here." '

In fact, Mr Wilson rapidly acquired a reputation in St Andrew's House as a Minister least likely to be controlled by his civil servants. He made policy announcements on the hoof (without telling the department); he made Ministerial visits on the spur of the moment (unaccompanied by minders); and, horror of horrors, he drafted his own press releases. And I doubt if he ever felt even slightly guilty about these grievous sins. But civil servants will forgive Ministers many faults, especially if Ministers know what it is they want to do and if they are prepared to take decisions. Brian Wilson was one of the good guys.

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