Two Ministers: separated at birth -- and still the wrong way round?

Bishop Welby

Lord Younger

Not normally one to judge by appearances, or indeed even to notice them unless they're being registered as trade marks or meeting him for a pint of Badger at the Old Nick, this Kat was struck this morning when he spotted this picture on the left.  Was Viscount Younger, the United Kingdom's new Minister for Intellectual Property, also going to be installed next month as Archbishop of Canterbury?  If you peruse the two photographs, you too may appreciate the close resemblance of these near-contemporaries (Lord Younger was born in 1955, Justin Welby in 1956)

Alas, says this Kat, this is where the similarity between the two men ends.

The Archbishop-elect and symbolic head of the world's 75 million or so Anglicans, Justin Welby is currently Bishop of Durham -- but he has 11 years of business experience under his belt with Elf Aquitaine and Enterprise Oil plc.   The Parliament.UK biography of the new Minister for Intellectual Property does not however contain any reference to a track record in business, industry or commerce.

Merpel adds: it's a strange world.  Once upon a time, business experience and familiarity with the ways of the industrial world might be seen as assets in the armoury of a Minister responsible for what is, after all, an area of business and industry -- and the ability to produce hot air and pontificate were not unreasonably viewed as part of the skills set of any senior member of the clergy.  Now it seems to be quite the other way round ...

For the avoidance of doubt, both the IPKat and Merpel wish both men the best of luck in their respective posts, though they suspect they know which one will be in post the longer.