“The modern world is swept by change. This new world challenges business to be innovative and creative, to improve performance continuously, to build new alliances. It challenges Government to execute a new approach to industrial policy. Old fashioned state intervention did not and cannot work.”
Tony Blair. Prime Minister. Our Competitive Future (1998) [Read more…]

“Competitiveness is not just a challenge for Government and for business. It requires a change in behaviour by us all; an openness to new ideas and a willingness to compare ourselves with the best in the world; to face up to how well we are doing and if the answer is not favourable, to do something about it.”
John Major. Creating the Enterprise Centre of Europe (1996) [Read more…]

“We were constantly criticised for being too prescriptive and centralised in approach. But often the moment we relaxed the broad standards we had set, local standards, far from showing the initiative about which we were so frequently told, simply relapsed to the levels we had sought to replace.”
Michael Heseltine, Life in the Jungle. (Hodder and Stoughton 2000) [Read more…]

“You create the world class companies. But in a thousand ways, the decisions that we take in Government can help you or hinder you. So we too are part of Britain’s competitiveness. All our policies – not just our economic policy – need to be focused on the future strength of the British economy.”
John Major. The Prime Minister. CBI Annual Dinner 1993 [Read more…]