Michael Fabricant, appointed back in June by Iain Duncan Smith as the Shadow
Minister for Trade and Industry, has been appointed Shadow Minister for
Economic Affairs by Michael Howard and Michael has been given new
responsibilities. His enlarged brief – just announced – broadly
includes the previous position he held shadowing the DTI, but now also
includes some areas of taxation covered by the Treasury. He will also be
responsible for campaigning across three shadow departments: the DTI, the
Treasury, and the Department of Work and Pensions.

"I suppose I should regard this as quite a promotion" says a delighted
Michael Fabricant "as it includes a number of new responsibilities. Under
the innovative set-up initiated by Michael Howard, there is now greater
flexibility between shadow Government departments. It makes great sense
that I now have influence over taxation policies affecting UK industry.

"The Government is always claiming that it is ‘joined up’. Midlands
businesses know full well that it is not. Gordon Brown notoriously does not
consult other ministers. The extra 1% on employers’ national insurance,
which has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs in the west midlands, is a
good example of that. Michael Howard’s new departmental structure overcomes
this.

"There is a major role for manufacturers in the UK as well as for the
sunrise industries. Although manufacturing jobs were lost in the 80’s as
inefficient companies fell in the face of foreign competition, those days
are largely over. My job is to ensure that lean and mean manufacturers are
allowed to flourish" Michael adds.