I hear that an intriguing new name has emerged: that of multi-millionaire businessman Richard Tice. He’s certainly a man used to winning, having co-founded Leave.EU
Boris Johnson used his time as London Mayor to carve out a place as one of the Tories’ most popular figures.
Now, Tory high command is once again turning its attention to this important post for a candidate to fight the 2020 mayoral contest against lightweight Labour mayor Sadiq Khan.
Former Education Secretary Justine Greening is being tipped as a front-runner, but she only narrowly held on to her seat in Putney at last year’s election. The London MEP Syed Kamall, a Muslim, is also expected to throw his hat in the ring.
But I hear that an intriguing new name has emerged: that of multi-millionaire businessman Richard Tice. He’s certainly a man used to winning, having co-founded Leave.EU.
Blessed with matinee idol good looks, the married father of three is a polished performer on BBC1’s Question Time and Radio 4’s Today programme. A long standing party member, he’s been a key figure in the academy schools programme and has imaginative proposals to revitalise house building, while serving as co-chairman of Leave Means Leave.
No wonder, then, that he’s under pressure from some senior Tories to stand. My Tory mole says: ‘The last thing we want is another “retread” politician. We want an entrepreneur who knows how to make things work.’
Tice fits the bill, but after the Tories’ worst local election result in London in May for almost 50 years, the party may need a miracle worker, not a businessman.
Is Labour MP David Lammy, a long-standing critic of Comrade Corbyn, going to quit his party?
‘I think the Labour Party is the best vehicle for progressive change in our country. However, that does not make it an ordained permanent feature necessarily of politics,’ the Tottenham MP tells GQ magazine. ‘Parties come and parties go in our history, that can happen.’
Just like politicians, David!
Lord Malloch Brown, who last week compared Brexit to appeasement of the Nazis, can hardly lecture us on democracy. He has one of the worst Lords voting records, having taken part in 2 per cent of votes.
No wonder Caroline Lucas is stepping down as joint leader of the Green Party. In the last quarter, the Greens received just £1,800 in donations — and that was from the party’s own MEP, Jean Lambert.
Comrade Corbyn’s success at Glastonbury last year — preaching, of course, to the converted —appears to have backfired.
Tickets for this month’s much-vaunted Labour Live ‘Jezfest’ that it inspired are having to be given away, while celebrities are shunning the event.
Even Labour supporter and ‘grime’ star Stormzy has rejected an invitation to appear, while Tracey Ullman brutally mocked the lack of demand in the opening episode of a new series of her satirical TV show at the weekend. And well she might; so far, ‘topping’ the bill is reality TV winner Jermain Jackman, whose debut single reached only 75 in the charts.
But surely Jezza, who promises to appear on stage, can rely on his deputy Tom Watson, a regular at Glasto, to cough up for a few tickets? Asked on LBC, Watson replied: ‘I’m not sure of my diary commitments in truth.’ He might be washing his hair that day.