British appointment may be help for N.Z.
By
TONY VERDON
in London The new British Minister of Agriculture, Mr John Selwyn Gummer, will become arguably the most important member of the new British Cabinet as far as New Zealand is concerned.
The 49-year-old. former chairman of the Conservative Party has had a bumpy political career, and his new appointment this week was a surprise to most political observers.
However, New Zealand officials were not unhappy about the appointment by the British Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher.
Mr Gummer is a former junior Agriculture Minister, and is wellversed in the arguments surrounding continued access for New Zealand meat and .butter to Europe. - He took the chair on behalf of the then-Minis-
ter of Agriculture, Mr Michael Joppling, when Britain held the presidency of the Council of Agriculture Ministers. In the House of Commons, in 1986, Mr Gummer made what was for New Zealand a timely statement emphasising there was no link between the level of milk quotas imposed on British producers, and the level of access for New Zealand butter.
Mr Cummer’s period as a junior Agriculture Minister followed his surprise appointment as chairman of the Conservative Party. He replaced the then-dis-graced Mr Cecil Parkinson, who quit in 1983 after his affair with his secretary, Sarah Keays, was revealed.
Mr Gummer is the son of a canon, and is described as a hawkish member of the Church of England synod. political commentators thf* week said his period
as party chairman was never “judged a notable success.” But they said he had recently been rehabilitated as Local Government Minister, where he has been involved in formulating the Government’s controversial move to replace local authority rates with a community charge, or poll tax, on individuals. He has not always been popular with colleagues throughout his period as an M.P. The "Guardian” newspaper this week said Mr Gummer was small of stature, and “unimposing of personality.” However, it said he had a flair for publicity, and had a “sunny nature.”
Mr Gummer replaces Mr John MacGregor, who has been promoted by Mrs, Thatcher from the agiCulture portfolio |to edtWtion and
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19890801.2.150
Bibliographic details
Press, 1 August 1989, Page 26
Word Count
355British appointment may be help for N.Z. Press, 1 August 1989, Page 26
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in