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Cameron's wooing of Tory MPs continues as new MP advisers appointed - including Boris's brother

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By Paul Goodman
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Three questions:

  • Johnson JoThe Policy Unit is a Government policy unit, not a Conservative Party policy unit. So what's the LibDems' role in the new set-up?
  • How will the bright and energetic Jo Johnson - who knows a lot about India, by the way - spread himself between running the Policy Unit and working for his constituents?
  • Does the carefully-balanced advisory board, containing, in order, one young One Nation-orientated thinker, campaigner and writer (and former rebel: a bit of rehabilitation going on here); one hugely experienced and intelligent right-wing former Minister; one former senior Cameron aide; one woman from the left of the party; one Sikh MP who holds a marginal seat; one immensely hard-working and expert former Minister (who, arguably, should never have been sacked at all), one centre-right MP with a very marginal seat, and one modernising, economically liberal woman...well, does it really mean anything?  Will it have a real role in shaping policy? How will it fit alongside the 1922 Committee's policy groups and the Conservative Policy Forum.

Three observations:

The Prime Minister clearly wants to fill some of the gaps in Number 10 which the Times's Rachel Sylvester covered earlier this week and we've also covered previously - as well as to correct his original error of letting the civil service shape the Policy Unit.

Congratulations to all!

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