David Young, Baron Young of Graffham - Political Career

Political Career

Young became involved in voluntary organisations, as Chairman of the British Organization for Rehabilitation by Training in 1975 and President from 1980 to 1982; he was Chairman of the International Council of Jewish Social and Welfare Services from 1981. In 1977 Young, an active Conservative, became a member of the Management Board of the Centre for Policy Studies, a 'think-tank' founded by Margaret Thatcher; he was made a Director of the CPS in 1979 shortly after the general election that brought Mrs Thatcher to power. On the first day of the new government, Keith Joseph, the Secretary of State for Industry appointed him his advisor responsible for what later became known as privatisation.

Because of his involvement with vocational training through ORT, he was picked by Norman Tebbit when he was Secretary of State for Employment to be the Chairman of the Manpower Services Commission in 1981, the Government Agency dealing with unemployment and training matters. As such he became involved in government decisions and the Cabinet ministers who dealt with him regarded him very positively; he made his position as a 'dry' on economic policy. He received a life peerage as Baron Young of Graffham, of Graffham in the County of West Sussex on 10 August 1984. One month later, on 11 September it was announced that Young was to enter the cabinet as Minister without Portfolio (the first for twenty years) to advise the government on unemployment issues. On 2 September 1985 he became Secretary of State for Employment.