As you may know – since it has been publicised but not all that well – HMRC is reorganising at the top, and is going to appoint a part time non-executive chairman and then a Chief Executive Officer.

So, I thought, I suppose the chairman will be picked from the usual list of big business types, possibly with a long record of failures and big pay offs, but I think that when this happens I shall apply for it – a long career in tax, one way or the other, and a certain knowledge about how HMRC operates with a special interest in small business, which is supposed to be the focus. Absolutely not one of the big business bunch.

But, I thought, it is not going to be hard to find out when the job is going to be advertised – surely the HMRC website will mention it, at least. No. I asked people I know at HMRC about it. They knew it was going to happen, but not when.

The it turned out it had happened after all. A single advert placed in the Sunday Times on 2 March. It says:

"The highest level of leadership, chairing and influencing skills are required, combined with extensive experience of senior executive or non-executive leadership in large complex organisations. The Chair will have a proven track record of managing multiple stakeholders and, preferably, of working with Government."

The advert gives no closing date, though the candidate brief gives it as 13 March, and according to the timetable the final interviews will have been held by now.

We are looking at a salary of around £150,000 a year" (not too bad for a part time post). Then it tells us:

"We are committed to supporting the principle that everybody should have the same opportunities for employment, development and progression. This should be based on their ability, competence and suitability for the role."

This means that no applicant should receive less favourable treatment on grounds of their race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, religion, family or domestic responsibilities, or working patterns. Also nobody should be disadvantaged by any specific conditions or requirements, unless it can be justified that these could affect their ability to undertake the role.

Except, of course, there was no chance for any applicant who didn’t happen to see one advert in one newspaper on one day within a very few days of its placing. So that is more or less restricted to those who knew when and where it was going to be.

Now this is probably the way these things are always done. But if you do things this way, please don’t tell us that everybody should have the same opportunities for employment, development and progression, because it ain’t so.