David Cameron recruits Boris's brother for Number 10

David Cameron recruits Boris’s brother for Number 10


Boris Johnson's younger brother has been promoted to a key Downing Street
position overseeing Conservative policy.
















By Robert Winnett, Political
Editor

10:00PM BST 24 Apr 2013

24 Comments




Jo Johnson, a Conservative MP, has been appointed as David Cameron’s new head
of policy and promoted to become a Cabinet Office minister.


The Prime Minister has also established a new policy advisory board largely
comprised of young Conservative MPs tasked with drawing up innovative new ideas
to reinvigorate Mr Cameron’s Premiership.


Several MPs who have rebelled against the Government, including Jesse Norman
and George Eustice, have been appointed to the panel.


The appointments have been made by the Prime Minister to address growing
concerns that Downing Street is not “overtly political enough” and has neglected
to draw up policies which are popular with many traditional Conservatives.



The head of the Downing Street policy unit has previously been a position
filled by a civil servant or political adviser, rather than an MP or minister.




Related Articles

• 
  WiFi porn in public to be blocked
  23 Apr 2013
  
• 
  Cameron considers action on pesticide pills after
  student's death
  24 Apr 2013
  
• 
  PMQs: Cameron faces grilling over economy and the
  NHS - as it happened
  24 Apr 2013
  
• 
  Let’s make more leg room at the Cabinet table
  
  24 Apr 2013
  

Senior sources said that Mr Johnson’s appointment marked the beginning of a
more “Thatcher-style” policy unit at the heart of Government.

Mr Johnson will be based in Downing Street and will work on Conservative,
rather than Coalition, policy. Nick Clegg already has civil servants and
advisers drawing up Liberal Democrat plans to be adopted by the Coalition.

A Conservative source said: “These appointments clearly represent a more
political policy operation and a more Thatcher style Downing Street Policy Unit.
The Advisory Board will strengthen the connective tissue between Downing Street
and the Parliamentary Party, and Jo Johnson will be a great asset in helping the
Prime Minister drive Conservative policy priorities throughout Government.”

Although overshadowed by his high-profile brother, Jo Johnson, a former
journalist for the Financial Times who only entered Parliament in 2010, is
regarded as a fast rising Conservative star. Like Mr Cameron, he attended Eton
College before Oxford University, where he was a member of the notorious
Bullingdon club.

The London mayor’s youngest brother, who is married to a Guardian journalist,
has been tipped as a potential future Prime Minister and rival for the
Conservative leadership to Boris.

Mr Johnson will be assisted in his role by a newly-created Conservative
Parliamentary Advisory Board. It can be disclosed that members of the panel will
include Jane Ellison, Paul Uppal, Nick Gibb and Jake Berry.

Peter Lilley, a former Cabinet minister who served under Baroness Thatcher
and Sir John Major, has also been appointed to the board.

Two of the leading members of the board will be Mr Norman, who spearheaded
the successful rebellion against Coalition plans to overhaul the House of Lords,
and Mr Eustice, a former press secretary to Mr Cameron who has criticised his
European policies.

The establishment of the advisory board represents an attempt by the Prime
Minister to reach out to the Parliamentary party. Earlier this year, Mr Cameron
faced the first serious speculation of a potential challenge for the
Conservative leadership.

He has faced criticism of being out of touch with many backbench MPs, and a
number of disaffected former ministers have criticised his leadership style.

======================
First he recently employed the same PR guy Boris uses, now he employs the younger Brother of Boris. .....is Cameron completely trying to upstage Boris? I don't think Boris can stand at the next election because of his commitment as Mayor of London , but he is young enough to try for 2019 and in the meantime is probably enjoying his role as Mayor of london and making a good job of it. Also, it seems likely that Cameron would not win the next Election anyway.