Sir Digby starts as he means to go on
Good to see high office hasn't castrated Sir Digby Jones. The ex-CBI man, far and away the most exciting of Gordon Brown's ministerial appointments, says this morning that tax rates should be made more competitive and regulation curbed. He was saying the same when he represented UK business, of course, but that sort of inwardly critical language is not normally tolerated of a minister.
Sir Digby is different, though. He was brought in for his outspoken reputation not despite it – after all he was previously appointed the skills envoy by Brown.
All this is of course fine in theory. It's altogether different in practice though and he is sure to test Brown's famous thin-skinnedness over the coming months and, if he lasts that long, years.
Neither man will have gone into this relationship with their eyes closed and both parties will have imposed conditions. So Sir Digby takes the Labour whip but retains the right to speak out. It seems a fair trade.
What interests me more though is how this will pan out. I feel sure that given his many talents and his availability Sir Digby would have been approached for previous jobs close to government and chosen not to accept them. Yet he has chosen to take on this one.
Obviously the rewards are there - improving the performance of British businesses on the global stage is an issue close to the Union Jack cufflink wearer's heart. But will their come a point where the downsides (accepting the whip, enduring the often glacial pace of change within Whitehall etc.) outweigh those considerable benefits?
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