Sugar for Mayor?
If you thought the last London Mayoral elections were farcical, just wait for the next lot.
Boris Johnson has only been in office for a matter of weeks, yet there is already speculation about who Labour might put up against the gaffe-prone oaf in May 2012.
Two-term incumbent Ken Livingstone, who Johnson dethroned this year, has indicated a desire to run again, but it is thought Labour will want a new face in four years’ time.
And the name all over the press last week, multi-millionaire businessman and star of BBC reality show The Apprentice, Sir Alan Sugar, is 10/1 to be named Labour’s next candidate.
If it happens, Sugar’s tale would bear a strange resemblance to that of Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg – the Jewish businessman who made a fortune from flogging electronic screens.
But is Sir Alan willing to do it? He would be of pensionable age by the 2012 contest, and while I can’t see him putting up his feet at 65, I’m not sure he would be wanting to step down from his business empire to run London either. Nevertheless, the Hackney-born magnate, a long admirer of Gordon Brown and a financial donor to the Labour Party, spoke last week about the job, saying: “Someone like me who cuts to the chase would be the right kind of person to look after London,” he said.
However, there are plenty of people who believe it would be a bad idea for Sugar to be named Mayor, an outcome currently priced 20/1 with Ladbrokes.
Sugar is known to deal with most problems with the subtlety of a battering ram, and if appointed to fix the capital’s problems, it could be like applying a stomach pump when all that is needed is a dose of Alka Selzer.
As a Tottenham supporter, I’ve always had a soft spot for Sugar, ever since he came to the rescue of the cash-strapped club in 1991, when the spectre of Robert Maxwell was hanging over White Hart Lane.
But I think the Labour Party are just after a bit of publicity and are worried about Livingstone, who is unable to tear himself away from City Hall.
Perhaps they’re hoping a spoonful of Sugar will help the Livingstone go down… (Sorry, I couldn’t resist that).