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  Sid - there is a good representation of the business community among Conservative MPs, unlike Labour. Yes, DC has not run a business though he did work in the private sector.
  
  Far too many MPs have not had any job outside politics these days. Interesting to note the backgounds of MPs from different Parties, exluding the political 'lifers'.
  
  In Labour, the public sector dominate along with lawyers, social workers with these days a few Trade Unionists.
  
  With Conservatives it is business and the Armed Forces that dominate with a fair sprinkling of lawyers as well.
  
  Norman Lamont was not a disaster, he inherited membership of ECU which was the disaster and it was John Major who got us into that mess as Chancellor. Lamont had to abide by the rules of the ECU until we thankfully crashed out of it and the Conservatives will not entrust our economy to a European currency again.
  
  One other interesting point:
  
  There is one public sector department that has not had cash thrown at it. In fact it has had a greater and greater burden thrown at it while with the resources not being increased enough to cope. That is the Ministry of Defence. You just need to look at the public expenditure settlements for the last 11 years to see how the MoD has been neglected.
  
  The number of Labour MP's who have served in the Forces can be counted on one hand about 1.7% of Labour MPs in fact. There is(or was) only one Minister (a junior business minister) who has served more than 3 years, I think his name is Joyce(?) and to his credit he did good service.
  
  This is another example of where Labour are lacking in understanding and experience and as a result is totally neglected in Government. Like business this is a critically important area of policy.
  
  Incidentally, the last I looked over 30 of the 200 Conservatives have served in the Forces, about 18% of them it worked out at, with two having seen active service in Iraq/Afghanistan with the reserves. This total includes several shadow ministers and spokesmen. David Davies was in the SAS Territorials of course.

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