BARBER GOES TO TREASURY

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32359, 27 July 1970, Page 13

BARBER GOES TO TREASURY

'N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, July 26.

Mr Anthony Barber, who has been the British negotiator with the European Economic Community at Brussels, has been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, replacing Mr lain Macleod, who died last week.

Mr Barber’s successor as Britain’s Common Market negotiator—the sixth appointment in the last decade—will be made known early next week. The favourite is Mr Geoffrey Rippon, the 46-year-old technology Minister, a quiet but influential Conservative.

On reports from European capitals suggesting that still another change of personality at the head of Britain’s Common Market negotiating effort might be viewed with distaste, it was pointed out in London that the Common Market Six would be happy to have someone at the British Treasury as familiar as Mr Barber now is with Community finance regulations and other details. Mr Barber, aged 50, a slender, unobstrusive man steps into Government’s toughest assignment early in the life of the new administration just when economic troubles loom menacingly on the horizon. His appointment was promptly seen as an indication that Mr Heath intends to keep the closest possible personal supervision over the economy through the man with whom he apparently works best. But political informants commented that while the two old friends would undoubtedly work is close association, the Government’s central economic policy had been laid down by the Conservative shadow cabinet when in opposition.

There was therefore no

question of Mr Barber tamely carrying out what might be called “a Heath policy.”