John Hoskyns
Encyclopedia
Sir John Leigh Austin Hungerford Hoskyns (born August 1927) is best known as a Policy Advisor to Margaret Thatcher
while head of the Prime Minister's Policy Unit from May 1979 and April 1982. Prior to this he acted as a Policy Adviser to her and the Shadow Cabinet from 1975–79, during which time he produced the important "Stepping Stones" report of November 1977.
, an independent school
in Winchester
in Hampshire
.
UK Ltd (1957–64), before founding the Hoskyns Group Ltd where he was Chairman and Managing Director (1964–75). He was Director-General of the Institute of Directors (1984–89), and served on the boards of a number of public companies.
Union power, for example, increases the level of unemployment as they raise wages above market clearing levels, which will eventually cause wages to be unsustainably and inefficiently high. This encouraged politicians to run budget deficits and print money; this causes inflation, which makes unions more militant, as their members suffer under increased inflation, and also, workers will be more inclined to join unions for protection from the rising inflation. Thus, the TU's power increases as they gain members. The report states: 'The one precondition for success will be a complete change in the role of the trade unions movement'.
Thatcher's feelings were already ill towards the TUs, and during her time in power she took many steps to decrease their power, by taking away their legal right not to be arrested for strikes, and placing a ban on 'closed shops'.
Some of her more cunning legislation for curbing TU's power was to introduce 'the right to buy' on council flats; it was cunning in that she knew that many of the conscientious working class (the traditional miner) would want to buy the house that they lived in; with mortgage payments, miners could not afford to go on strike, thus they wouldn't. To cure anything, you had to change everything.
Hoskyns had the idea to release half-baked ideas deliberately so that hasty and overconfident labour responses could be 'demolished'.
The report was never published, although it can be said to have had an effect on Thatcher.
When Margaret Thatcher, who read chemistry at Oxford, saw the diagram, she remarked it looked like a chemical plant.
"
He was knighted in 1982 and published a memoir, "Just in time, inside the Thatcher revolution" in 2000. His grandfather
was an eminent Anglican priest
in the first 3rd of the 20th century.
for the 2006
BBC
TV documentary series Tory! Tory! Tory!
.
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
while head of the Prime Minister's Policy Unit from May 1979 and April 1982. Prior to this he acted as a Policy Adviser to her and the Shadow Cabinet from 1975–79, during which time he produced the important "Stepping Stones" report of November 1977.
Education
Hoskyns was educated at Winchester CollegeWinchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
Life and career
Hoskyns served as a regular soldier in the Rifle Brigade (1945–57). He then started a business career at IBMIBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
UK Ltd (1957–64), before founding the Hoskyns Group Ltd where he was Chairman and Managing Director (1964–75). He was Director-General of the Institute of Directors (1984–89), and served on the boards of a number of public companies.
The Stepping Stones Report, 1977
Without any political experience, he dedicated the year of 1977 to analysing what he considered to be wrong with the UK; this was called the Stepping Stones Report. He created this report for the Tory party, working with Norman S. Stauss, then at Unilever. He created a diagram that showed how all these problems were interlinked.Union power, for example, increases the level of unemployment as they raise wages above market clearing levels, which will eventually cause wages to be unsustainably and inefficiently high. This encouraged politicians to run budget deficits and print money; this causes inflation, which makes unions more militant, as their members suffer under increased inflation, and also, workers will be more inclined to join unions for protection from the rising inflation. Thus, the TU's power increases as they gain members. The report states: 'The one precondition for success will be a complete change in the role of the trade unions movement'.
Thatcher's feelings were already ill towards the TUs, and during her time in power she took many steps to decrease their power, by taking away their legal right not to be arrested for strikes, and placing a ban on 'closed shops'.
Some of her more cunning legislation for curbing TU's power was to introduce 'the right to buy' on council flats; it was cunning in that she knew that many of the conscientious working class (the traditional miner) would want to buy the house that they lived in; with mortgage payments, miners could not afford to go on strike, thus they wouldn't. To cure anything, you had to change everything.
Hoskyns had the idea to release half-baked ideas deliberately so that hasty and overconfident labour responses could be 'demolished'.
The report was never published, although it can be said to have had an effect on Thatcher.
When Margaret Thatcher, who read chemistry at Oxford, saw the diagram, she remarked it looked like a chemical plant.
The EU
He attacked the EU's "-of-touch politicians, undemocratic institutions, dubious electoral systems and legal processes, financial corruption, creative accounting, secrecy, administrative incompetence, mercantilist instincts, foreign-policy confusion, institutionalised animosity towards the United States and Charlemagne-flavoured delusions of empire."
He was knighted in 1982 and published a memoir, "Just in time, inside the Thatcher revolution" in 2000. His grandfather
Benedict George Hoskyns
The Ven Benedict George Hoskyns , MA was an eminent Anglican priest in the first third of the 20th century.He was born on 23 February 1856 into an ennobled family: his father was Canon Sir John Leigh Hoskyns, 9th Bart. He was educated at Bradfield, Haileybury and Jesus College, Cambridge, where...
was an eminent Anglican priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in the first 3rd of the 20th century.
In the media
Hoskyns was interviewed about Stepping Stones and the rise of ThatcherismThatcherism
Thatcherism describes the conviction politics, economic and social policy, and political style of the British Conservative politician Margaret Thatcher, who was leader of her party from 1975 to 1990...
for the 2006
2006 in television
2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television...
BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV documentary series Tory! Tory! Tory!
Tory! Tory! Tory!
Tory! Tory! Tory! is a 2006 BBC television documentary series on the history of the people and ideas that formed Thatcherism told through the eyes of those on the New Right.-Production:...
.
External links
- http://www.euro-know.org/telegraph/dt001113.html