David Young, Baron Young of Graffham
A self-made businessman turned Thatcherite minister, he shaped Britain's enterprise culture by championing deregulation and small business growth.
1932–2022 (age 90)·British politician·Birthday: February 27·The Silent Generation
Biography
David Young's story is one of ascent from a modest London background to the heart of Thatcher's Britain. Trained as a solicitor, he built a successful career in property and publishing before catching the eye of the Conservative Party. His practical, business-first mindset made him a natural fit for Margaret Thatcher's cabinet, where he served as Employment Secretary and later Trade and Industry Secretary. Young was not a career politician but a problem-solver; he was instrumental in rolling back industrial regulations and fostering an environment where small businesses could thrive. After leaving frontline politics, he remained a trusted advisor, authoring influential reports on health and safety and government procurement. His life peerage in 1984 cemented his role as a key architect of the 1980s economic transformation.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
David was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 80
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Died at 90
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Key Achievements
- Served as Secretary of State for Employment, overseeing significant labour market reforms in the 1980s.
- As Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, he championed policies to stimulate entrepreneurship and reduce red tape.
- Authored the 2010 report 'Common Sense, Common Safety', which led to a simplification of UK health and safety laws.
- Was appointed a life peer as Baron Young of Graffham in 1984, continuing to influence policy from the House of Lords.
Did You Know?
He was the chairman of the publishers Weidenfeld & Nicolson before entering government.
Unlike many cabinet ministers, he never held a seat in the House of Commons, serving only in the Lords.
He was once described by Margaret Thatcher as having 'the Midas touch'.
“It is not the creation of wealth that is wrong, but the love of money for its own sake.”
