Treasury Board welcomes responsible supervision
The Treasury Board has appointed three experienced business figures to offer advice and challenge. The economy was immediately asked to stop running indoors with a structural deficit.
Sir Charlie Mayfield, Edward Twiddy and Jenny Scott have joined as non executive members. Their experience spans retail, banking, regeneration and communications. This should give the board a useful range of views and at least one person able to ask where the receipt went.
Non executives can challenge strategy, risk and management without running daily operations. That is serious work. The joke is the national hope that any difficult economic question can be solved by seating several capable adults near a graph.
The balance sheet gets a grown up chair
“We use the naughty step only after two consecutive quarters,” said Bunty Fiscal Spoon, Head of Macroeconomic Bedtime. “Interest rates must finish their vegetables before bond markets get pudding.”
The three appointees bring relevant commercial and professional experience. Treasury expects them to help strengthen departmental decision making. The economy has already prepared its defence, which consists of pointing at global headwinds and requesting a comfort break.
Independent challenge can improve public administration. It is not a magic wand. It is more like a red box full of questions, some of which arrive on a Friday afternoon with the phrase just a quick thought.
Retail expertise noticed that government possesses fourteen million loyalty points but has lost the card. Banking expertise found the rainy day fund under miscellaneous. Communications expertise made the phrase outlook remains challenging sound almost like an instruction.
Growth puts its coat on
The board has begun work. Britain must now collect its fiscal coat, say thank you and stop asking whether growth can sleep over.
The economy has promised to behave. Nobody has accepted this as a forecast.
Read the real story: The Treasury announcement of its new board members.
