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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| David Cameron appoints another friend to policy unit | David Cameron appoints another friend to policy unit |
| (5 months later) | |
| David Cameron has appointed another longstanding friend to the No 10 policy unit, adding to sense that a closed privileged circle will be at the centre of his manifesto process. | David Cameron has appointed another longstanding friend to the No 10 policy unit, adding to sense that a closed privileged circle will be at the centre of his manifesto process. |
| Cameron appointed Christopher Lockwood, the US editor of the Economist and a former public school pupil, to the policy unit. Lockwood's appointment follows that of the old Etonian Jo Johnson to head the policy unit. | Cameron appointed Christopher Lockwood, the US editor of the Economist and a former public school pupil, to the policy unit. Lockwood's appointment follows that of the old Etonian Jo Johnson to head the policy unit. |
| Lockwood, educated at St Paul's school and Oxford University, is also highly regarded by the chancellor George Osborne, who asks him to attend dinners with his inner circle. | Lockwood, educated at St Paul's school and Oxford University, is also highly regarded by the chancellor George Osborne, who asks him to attend dinners with his inner circle. |
| Lockwood was part of a group including his own wife Venetia that went on a villa holiday to Italy with Cameron and his wife Samantha Sheffield, as she then was. He is also Earl Spencer's former brother-in-law. | Lockwood was part of a group including his own wife Venetia that went on a villa holiday to Italy with Cameron and his wife Samantha Sheffield, as she then was. He is also Earl Spencer's former brother-in-law. |
| Cameron defended the breadth of his policymaking circle, saying: "I look right across the parliamentary party and I choose the most talented people I can to fill the most important jobs. | Cameron defended the breadth of his policymaking circle, saying: "I look right across the parliamentary party and I choose the most talented people I can to fill the most important jobs. |
| "I'm very proud of the fact that we've got a range of different people working as government ministers, as parliamentary private secretaries, and now a good range of people assisting in my policy unit. I judge people by what they can do, what they can bring – by the quality of their brains and the passion in their hearts, not which school they went to." | "I'm very proud of the fact that we've got a range of different people working as government ministers, as parliamentary private secretaries, and now a good range of people assisting in my policy unit. I judge people by what they can do, what they can bring – by the quality of their brains and the passion in their hearts, not which school they went to." |
| Lockwood has worked for the Economist in Brussels and Asia, and is knowledgeable on foreign policy as much as on domestic policy. | Lockwood has worked for the Economist in Brussels and Asia, and is knowledgeable on foreign policy as much as on domestic policy. |
| Under his influence, the Economist surprisingly, if grudgingly, endorsed Barack Obama for the second term. In an interview for the magazine's website, he said the Economist had "not been immensely impressed by Obama 's first term", but said the magazine approved of the bailout of Detroit and healthcare reform. | Under his influence, the Economist surprisingly, if grudgingly, endorsed Barack Obama for the second term. In an interview for the magazine's website, he said the Economist had "not been immensely impressed by Obama 's first term", but said the magazine approved of the bailout of Detroit and healthcare reform. |
| But he explained: "Our default position is in that he handed the terrifying recession in the economy not too badly. It could have been a great deal worse. He stabilised the economy. We are now seeing growth creeping back. Given the titanic challenges he faced, it is not a bad record." | But he explained: "Our default position is in that he handed the terrifying recession in the economy not too badly. It could have been a great deal worse. He stabilised the economy. We are now seeing growth creeping back. Given the titanic challenges he faced, it is not a bad record." |
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