Judi Bevan meets David Young, who served in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet before chairing Cable & Wireless and creating his own successful private-equity business
Few 75-year-olds supply and programme their grandchildren’s computers or keep in touch with the younger generation by text. But Lord Young of Graffham — the businessman who was parachuted into the cabinet as secretary of state for employment by Margaret Thatcher and later headed the Department of Trade and Industry — is one of a rare breed of septuagenarian technophiles.
‘I have owned a PC since 1977 and I bought the first Apple in this country,’ he claims, with the boyishly pleased air of someone who stole a march on his peers.
David Young bubbles with energy and mischief — and is not averse to stirring the pudding. Recently he criticised a ‘paid to fail’ £5 million-plus payout for Harris Jones, the former international chief executive of Cable & Wireless — the telecoms company Young chaired after resigning from government in 1989.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in