Tory MPs have long assumed that Sir George Young would be shuffled out of the job of chief whip at the next reshuffle. The 71 year old had, after all, been retired from the Cabinet with honours last September only to be recalled and made chief whip following Andrew Mitchell’s resignation.
But David Cameron has now indicated to the chief whip that he’ll not be moved in the coming reshuffle. Cameron keeping the 71 year old Young in place has surprised Tory MPs; there’s concern among the younger generation that this indicates that not many more of them will get jobs this time round.
Cameron leaving Sir George in post is another sign that he accepts that whipping the party is a particularly hard job in coalition. Unlike some others in Downing Street, he doesn’t subscribe to the view that all that is needed is the smack of strong discipline.
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