黑洞社区

As construction waits for clarification on Brexit, infrastructure and possible action on the housing white paper, this week鈥檚 coverage shows there are fears the political party conference season will bring no answers. 黑洞社区 looks back to a clearer time when the construction minister Nick Raynsford saw fit to talk directly to the industry, writes Helen Burch.

Raynsford was an old friend of the magazine 鈥� a former columnist 鈥� and 鈥渋ndustry leaders were delighted鈥� the housing specialist continued with the role he had shadowed. 

However, Raynsford had to spend a lot of the interview defending deputy prime minister John Prescott, who had a slightly less loving relationship with the sector. Prescott鈥檚 comments questioning the competence of the British construction industry after a major Millennium Dome contract went abroad 鈥渉ad riled industry leaders鈥�.

鈥淢aybe John puts it in a slightly more abrasive way than others, but that鈥檚 not necessarily a bad thing,鈥� said Raynsford. 鈥淭here are people who鈥檇 like a nice cosy relationship where government pats everyone on the back. I think that鈥檚 the slippery path to extinction.鈥� We suspect anybody who had their back cosily patted by Prescott would have ended up with rather large bruises.

To read the full article from 12 September 1997, click on the PDF below.