Remember Lord Young? He is the former trade and industry secretary who was given the task of reviewing health and safety regulation for Number 10 last year. He was forced to resign last November, however, after telling a Telegraph journalist that many Britons had “never had it so good”, despite the economy being gripped by recession.
At the time, David Cameron said:
Obviously he is extremely embarrassed. He was very quick to retract completely what he said. It was unacceptable.
Despite this, Lord Young apparently came back to Number 10 last month to work as Cameron’s “enterprise adviser”. His return was not announced by any press notice or prime ministerial statement: rather journalists spotted Lord Young walking along Downing Street and figured out he was back.
Except he wasn’t back, not strictly. In fact I am told he never actually left. His “resignation”was little more than a media stunt and he kept working for free for Number 10 throughout.
What’s more, in a sign of the high regard in which he is held by the prime minister, I am also told he is only one of two people to have his own office in Number 10 – everyone else has to share. The other, of course, is the PM himself.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey