In his heyday, Michael ‘Tarzan’ Heseltine MP was renowned for finding the G-spot of the Conservative Party. This week, Lord Heseltine of Thenford seems to have worked the trick across the political spectrum. Whatever the likelihood of it being implemented, his ‘No Stone Unturned in Pursuit of Growth’ report brought flushes of pleasure to the faces of localists, corporatists, academics and industrialists alike.

Heseltine admitted to being on a quest for consensus – an essential precondition, in his view, for investor confidence. But where do legal services fit in this cosy picture?

At first glance, nowhere. While avoiding the populist trap of blaming lawyers for constricting innovation, Heseltine holds back any enthusiasm he may have about legal services as a motor for growth.

While the professional sector gets a name check as a ‘headline strength’ of the UK economy, Heseltine notes that the UK’s trade surplus in this sector is far outweighed by a deficit in goods. And he lets pass without comment the finding that, out of 22 industry groups, professional services is predicted to be the single biggest contributor to jobs over the next eight years - 389,000 new jobs. (Compare that with information technology’s 22,000.)

But don’t delete the Heseltine report unread – there is useful ammunition there. One is the strong recommendations that the government form a relationship with all major sectors of the economy. Given the importance of legal services (and not just in London either), that sounds like an instruction to engage more with lawyers. Brought a flush to my face, at least.

Michael Cross is Gazette news editor

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