2000: Memorandum by the New Business Development Manager

In his Memorandum submitted to the House of Commons Select Committee on Agriculture

Dr George Thorburn said

..."I am George Cumming Thorburn
and was recruited by HRI as their first New Business Development Manager
and Managing Director (designate) of HortiTech in February 1997
until I was wrongfully dismissed without notice or leave of appeal on 15 October 1999.
..."The current situation is untenable and shows a complete lack of understanding and ability
by the Board and the Senior Executives of HRI.
HRI has not listened to its customers and appears to have lost its ability to understand and deliver its remit....
... "The organisation is in effect bankrupt and only held together by government handouts....
... "The organisation has appeared to re invent the wheel every two or three years ...
... "Frankly, it would be better to wind up HRI
and re-think the way that government could support horticultural R&D in this country. ...

We have applied for a licence to reproduce a copy of Dr Thorburn's Memorandum here.

The recent (2010) paper on policy making by Demos is also worth reading

"Policy making must start from the idea that there is no single way to identify a problem ?"
"... problem-managing [is] less like throwing a rock, and more like releasing a live bird ..."
Jake Chapman, Charlie Edwards and Simon Hampson 2009
Demos (pdf)

For an Index to the pages, and an Explanation of how to contribute, please see the Home Page

Why Did It Happen