Editing Michael Heseltine (section)

====Assessments====
Heseltine was not popular with his ministerial peers at this time. A story was told of how ministers had volunteered him to be the one "taken hostage by terrorists" in a mooted training exercise. Nonetheless, Heseltine emerged from the Heath government with an enhanced reputation. He had avoided the worst crises of that government: the two miners' strikes, incomes policy, [[Industrial Relations Act 1971|industrial relations policy]] and Northern Ireland, as well as any direct involvement in British entry into the EEC.<ref>Crick 1997, p. 176.</ref> Heseltine's career under Heath's ministry saw him associated with local government reorganisation, prestige projects, Europe and state aid to industries, themes which would recur throughout his career. He had attained a higher public profile than many Cabinet ministers, and by 1974 he was being seriously tipped as a future prime minister.<ref>Crick 1997, p. 158.</ref>

Heseltine was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet in June 1974 as Industry spokesman. If the Conservatives had won either of the general elections in 1974 (February or October) he would almost certainly have joined the Cabinet. He was shadowing [[Tony Benn]], who planned a major expansion of public ownership through the [[National Enterprise Board]]. In the summer of 1974, Heseltine put together a team of over 20 Conservative MPs, each a specialist in a particular industry, to campaign against Benn's plans.<ref>Crick 1997, pp. 178–9.</ref>