Politicians need judgment, not experience

I READ Bernard Ginns’ piece with regards to how much faith we have in those running the economy (Yorkshire Post, February 26) with interest.

By advocating a need to 
have practical experience in business or in economics as a prerequisite to having a leading political role in the Treasury, I fear that he is falling into the trap of confusing the role of specialist practitioner in the industry with the specialist role of judgment in politics.

There is certainly a detrimental trend away from MPs having experience in other fields before coming into parliament – what Denis Healey called “hinterland” – but the essential skill for those in politics is to be able to assemble evidence and advice on a subject, to evaluate the quality and relevance of that advice, and to make the most effective and beneficial decision in the circumstances before him or her.

The MP appointed as a Minister who has specialist experience of the subject – a teacher in education, a doctor in health or, I guess, a business person or economist at the Treasury – tends to have preconceived ideas and finds it difficult to exercise the necessary incisive and rounded judgement.

I recall the poor performance of John Davies in 1970 when brought directly into the House and then quickly into Cabinet from a background at the top of the CBI. Arguably, Ken Clarke was an excellent Chancellor despite coming from a legal background. Interestingly, Enoch Powell made this case very powerfully in his book Medicine and Politics following his experience as the Minister of Health. What we really need is a better politics generally which is more attractive to men and women of intellect and ability, to encourage them to stand for election and, if elected, then able to exercise far more rigour in decision making than the superficial short-termism that is increasingly the case today.