A great survivor of two changes in government in the past five years, Simon Burton has been at the side of an astonishing three chief whips since 2016. Previously, Burton was at the Department of Transport with Patrick McLoughlin and before that was part of the Post Office’s policy and briefing team, the latter his only post outside of Conservative politics in his career, having worked at CCHQ and for an MP before then. The whips’ office is always tumultuous, but Burton’s time there between the 2017 and 2019 elections was particularly hectic as he tried to calm the political waters as the Withdrawal Agreement arguments raged.
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