You're excused only now I have it stuck in my head...
At the moment, yeah, they probably wouldn't have much to do with each other at all since Michael is very firmly ensconced in his own rut, but it's possible Emrys knows about him if it is worked out that he was the Blishwick's charity case that they sponsored. So he'd probably have a good idea of his character, etc depending on how good his memory is of one rather awkward, solitary Irish boy.
And if Michael ever was approached for a position like that he would probably have to be talked into accepting. He's a rather apolitical and (by this point) unambitious person and at first he might turn it down out of habit, thinking its all some sort of joke.