The civil service needs an actual industry bigwig, not a mid-rank mandarin, if it wants to properly engage with business, writes Matthew Elliott

On my morning scroll through Linkedin, I spotted an interesting job vacancy – Business Engagement Lead for the Chancellor of the Exchequer. To be based either in Darlington or London, the job commands a salary of between £55,760 and £65,000 and, at the time of writing, has had 56 applicants. Whilst undoubtedly a respectable salary, it would be a stretch to think that it could attract a bigwig from the world of industry or finance, with the expertise and contacts they’d bring to the role.

It might seem ironic that I, as the founder of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, am making a point about civil service salaries being too low, but it seems sensible that we should strive to recruit someone more experienced than a mid-ranking official when it comes to a matter as important as spearheading the relationship between the government minister in charge of our economy and the business community.

Labour has swapped the voice of business for the voice of the civil service

The Labour Party was extremely successful at wooing the business community before the last election, with Rachel Reeves’ smoked salmon and scrambled eggs breakfasts winning a string of........

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