John Healey had been sent to Coventry, something he will have to get used to after his budget next month, at least if he ever intends to use any form of business again. He was visiting ‘The Manufacturing Technology Centre’ which is the sort of vague, ‘Universal Exports’ style name for a company that might have, in past years, made people think Healey was a double agent.

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In the last ministry, Healey had certainly got a reputation as a man of action, of something of a hard man who wasn’t prepared to put his job on the line to get what he wanted. That reputation, as it becomes pretty clear that he won’t be giving defence the spending it needs despite resigning because he said it was so important, is in tatters. Healey needs a new brand and Coventry was the place for it. Here, in front of a mysterious robotic arm, we........

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