I know Tony Bingham likes being controversial, but in his article “Get a truck load of this” (12 December, page 48) he really has overdone it

Sir John Egan didn’t boob. He knew full well that this industry does not believe in working together. He understood its culture (I know – I was with him at the time). He saw no reason why what worked in other industries (which he also understood) should not work in this one. And he was right. Construction is not different. It just likes to think it is.

Does Tony really believe that adversarial working is sensible? And that we shouldn’t work to change the culture? Where does this leave him as an adjudicator?

What is needed is culture change. The contract writing bodies have the processes. We need political will within the industry to make it happen. And we need influential people like Tony to help, not hinder.

John Hobson, policy analyst and former construction director at the DTI/DETR