Is he qualified to be PM?

THE subject of recruiting a Prime Minister has been exercising my mind lately.

So I decided to outline what my approach would have been if this job had been a typical executive search assignment.

Now retired, for my last 15 years of work I was a principal of an exec search business in Wales, handling or directing the placements of around 500 chairmen, CEOs and directors, UK-wide, sometimes internationally, mainly into Wales, with commercial and public service clients.

Before this I was HR director of several international businesses.

In this case, I pictured my client as the Queen.

At the first client meeting I would agree a job and person spec and outline the process.

This would normally mean me contacting up to 20 people who looked to match the spec. (With the client usually indicating some that would and would not fit.)

My aim would be to interview around 12 and within three months meet the client to recommend a shortlist of around six.

In very simple terms, the spec here would likely be: “Superlative and highly successful experience at ministerial level, with blemish-free personal qualities and reputation with peers and key interfacers at global level.”

I am absolutely certain that I would not have bothered contacting Boris Johnson (and equally certain that my client would agree).

So he would not have been invited to my initial shortlist and certainly not discussed with my client at all.

This assignment would have been a doddle.

I would unlikely be contacting people who would not be keenly interested.

I would expect to be extremely confident about my shortlist, the delight of the client and a stunning placement.

Should your readers doubt my professional objectivity, I am equally certain that I would not have spoken to Jeremy Corbyn.

Tony Pegge Ystradgynlais