Rishi Sunak’s Whitehall carve up merely rearranges the deckchairs

Rishi Sunak touring a combined heat and power plant in London on Tuesday. A new department of science, innovation and technology harks back to Harold Wilson’s ‘white heat’ 1960s vision. Photograph: Reuters

Rishi Sunak has become the latest occupant of Downing Street to shuffle the Whitehall pack in the hope that a reorganisation of the machinery of government will lead to faster economic growth. History suggests he will not be the last.

Since Edward Heath created the Department of Trade and Industry as one of his new “super-ministries” in 1970, it has been a process of almost constant change for the department that looks after business. Responsibilities have been added and taken away under politicians who have barely had time to find their feet before being moved on again.