GRABBING THE HEADLINES

Much attention has recently been applied to whether or not a mystery benefactor bailed out the Princess of Wales. It is a shame this debate was not focused on a much more substantial story of chivalry unfolding in an entirely different quarter.

Picture the scene. With the Government refusing to pay for the teachers' pay rise, it seemed redundancies and enormous class sizes would have to instead. With councils unable to make up the difference, disaster loomed. That is, until a mysterious philanthropist appeared on the scene. While the nation at large wrung its hands, this shadowy entity quietly took out a cheque book and made a 'sizeable' contribution to the shortfall.

You, or at least your industry, is that unsung hero.

It now seems likely that road maintenance will 'pay' something to the order of œ100-150 million toward the teachers' settlement (equal to a 5-7% cut in annual budget). Building upkeep will probably donate a further substantial amount.

This outcome was probably deducible some while ago. County surveyors have been sending out the warning signals for two months. Indeed, after the BMP's December forecast, the FCEC politely told its analysts they had not taken sufficient note of the coming squeeze on council spending. All of which makes the lather into which the country and the media have worked themselves over the supposed threat to education seem faintly preposterous.

It is hardly necessary to say there would have been little interest in a debate over the real issues at stake. From this episode construction's low public esteem is seen more clearly, and hurtfully, then ever before. Children are seen as our future - strips of tarmac are not. Yet the arguments advanced by national papers for a Government climb down over teachers' pay are gallingly familiar: 'Sudden cuts preclude rational long term planning and attention to cost effectiveness', was the Guardian's comment. Would that such arguments held their force when applied to construction matters, but they do not. Once again we see the failure of the industry's PR machine.

Until the time when construction begins to campaign effectively at local, as well as national, level, winning the hearts and minds of the public, not just politicians, little is going to change. Bacmi has begun taking practical steps to 'promote' quarrying locally. Contractors should follow suit. An inspection bridge and souvenir kiosk at the Second Severn is but a small start.

Pending fruit from such labours, this recent episode is probably a best case scenario as far as lobbying goes. Using the outrage against a four-day school week as a stalking horse, and getting the national papers to fight our case is arguably our best hope of securing political victories.