The Department for Business and Trade – soon to be the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade – is hiring an industrial policy chief without a requirement to be knowledgeable about the economy or industrial policy. Whitehall hiring 101…
The new hire will lead on policy for the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council Secretariat and “deliver robust advice to the Government following the publication of the Industrial Strategy; specifically supporting the ISAC members to deliver bespoke policy projects, give evidence-based recommendations to Government and engage extensively with relevant stakeholders, ensuring that the ISAC’s time and expertise is used to maximum effect to maximise impact and delivery of Industrial Strategy objectives.” For a handsome £64,708…
It is “essential” that the policy lead can brief, communicate and is “comfortable working with agility in a context of change and transition.” Knowledge of the policy, however, is further down the list:
“The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates;
An understanding of the drivers of economic policy and/or some familiarity with industrial policy would be desirable but not essential. ”
This prioritisation happens worryingly often. Applies to Andy Burnham’s new job too: “Winning a national election or leadership contest of any type is desirable but not essential”…
Andy Haldane, Burnham’s recent adviser on the economy who has not taken up a No10 job, told Andrew Marr on LBC:
“The market now suspects that this is a traditional tax-and-spend socialist government with better TikTok videos…
imposing windfall taxes on oil & gas or on banks or upping capital gains tax would […] repeat the mistake that Rachel made […] The Achilles heel, the fiscal Achilles heel of this government thus far has been its unwillingness and/or inability to cut public spending.”