UK revives industrial plan unseen since Margaret Thatcher

London

THERESA May took a step toward delivering the UK's first industrial strategy since Margaret Thatcher ruled in the 1980s, combining the government departments overseeing business, energy and climate change.

The prime minister, who replaced David Cameron on Wednesday, merged the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills into a new ministry dubbed the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. She named former local government minister Greg Clark as its leader.

The decision is aimed at helping the Conservative government balance the need to attract £100 billion (S$178 billion) in investment to keep electricity networks running after 2020 with consumers' demands for lower bills and targets set down in law to reduce poll…