Reading between the lines

To Nuclear 2018 being held last week in London’s Victoria. Business minister Richard Harrington, the man who popped into a Construction Leadership Council event in October for a whopping six minutes, stayed a bit longer this time. My hack reckons he was there for about 20 minutes, firing up attendees. “We were given [anti-nuclear] leaflets by a couple of very civilised protesters outside,” he remarked. “I’ve not read it but I’m sure it is full of inaccuracies and spelling mistakes.” My hack received one as well. The chief sub on this title says there’s not one typo and, as for inaccuracies, the leaflet takes a similar line to Sir John Armitt’s National Infrastructure Commission – that nuclear will ultimately cost taxpayers more than pursuing renewables. Not reading things seems to be Harrington’s forte. Over the summer, he told journalists at an FMB event he would only answer questions on the report the group had just produced – except he hadn’t read it. He’s fast shaping up to be a real asset for the industry.

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