Thursday, April 19, 2007

London Mayoralty Runners and Riders

So far up to 40 people are thought to have expressed interest in being the Conservative Candidate to fight Ken Livingstone. It has been suggested by a reader that I should compile a short guide to the runners and riders. Here are the declared candidates so far. Please let me know of any people I may have missed out...

Richard Barnes
Nick Boles
Victoria Borwick
Simon Fawthrop
Warwick Lightfoot
Winston McKenzie
Mike Read
Lurline Champagnie
Lee Rotherham

Those rumoured to be running include...

Andrew Boff
Simon Milton
Steve Norris

I'll add to the list later, but in the meantime feel free to do so in Comments...

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

49 comments:

Laurence Boyce said...

Well I’ve heard of Steve Norris . . .

Mark Wallace said...

Lee Rotherham: http://www.newstartforlondon.com/

(when I first saw the link, I was hoping it would be "Newt Tart For London" but alas)

Anonymous said...

So I'm not sure how one gets to 40 from that list ?

Where has this figure of 40 come from anyway ? Francis Maude ?

Anonymous said...

Dame Simon Milton's running? I couldn't vote for him - Westminster City Council's meant to be Tory, but it's driving (legitimate) businesses out of Soho.

I thought we were meant to be pro-business?

Anonymous said...

Oh, come on laurence..

'Mike Read, Mike Read, two seven five and two eight five; Mike Read, Mike Read, Gnashers on Radio One !'

Anonymous said...

But what happens if another high-profile disgruntled Labourite decides to stand for the Tories to spite his old mates?

I guess this whole process will be canned?

Anonymous said...

What about drafting Shaun Woodward ?

Anonymous said...

Send for Mr. Norris

Sir Dando Tweakshafte said...

"...another high-profile disgruntled Labourite decides to stand for the Tories to spite his old mates..."

Blair for Mayor?

(Well it rhymes, and it's less ludicrous than Mike Read.)

Anonymous said...

What about Dame Shirley Porter?

Anonymous said...

David Icke?

Anonymous said...

Fuck me, that makes the England Cricket team look impressive.

The Hitch said...

Who would want any of them?
Just abolish the office of mayor , yet another grandiose ill thought out newlab F....d Up way to piss away billions of pounds.

If we are going to have a mayor I suggest either Roy chubby Brown or Bernard Manning, anybody but this nasal whining southern twat Livingstone

Anonymous said...

Well, actually, Duncan Fletcher IS soon free, theoretically...

Anonymous said...

Somehow I don't think Red Ken will be having a sleepless night tonight with the names identified so far.
Can we conservatives really not get some candidates with a London (or national) profile to stand against Ken.....Have we given up on London?

The Hitch said...

Anonymous said...
What about drafting Shaun Woodward ?

Surely you meant.
"What about drowning shaun woodward"?

Marries into millions and yesterday votes to f... up the retirement of others.
The C word!

Anonymous said...

What is re-assuring is knowing that a well-paid policy wonk in City Hall is scanning this and other blogs to give an early warning on the radar of the competition they will have to face next year, and get a head-start on the defence strategy against the big hitters threatening Ken next year..

Anonymous said...

how about a live debate/hustings on 18 doughty street?

Anonymous said...

What surprises me is that none of the missing 40 are making themselves known - if they wanted a bit of free publicity [and goodness knows they need it] you would have thought they would let people know on 'Britain's Premier Political Blog' ? Or maybe they are so busy with day jobs that they don't have time to read Guido Fawkes ! [Only teasing, Iain..]

Edward said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

In olden days, people used to thing the world was flat and if you went to the edge you would fall off. The same is NOT true with regard to the M25. The UK does exist beyond it

Anonymous said...

Lurline Champagnie - sounds like a cheap French car!
Shouldn't someone English be Mayor of London?

Anonymous said...

Lurline Champagnie - sounds like a cheap French car!
Shouldn't someone English be Mayor of London?

Anonymous said...

Iain tells me he's been following up his earlier story very carefully and has discovered that Peggy Mitchell out of the Queen Vic is running. He felt that Andrew Neill had said that in the back of a man's cab that he later used to get to Doughty.

Iain found a spiritualist card inside which he held to my heart to hear Peggy's fateful words repeated by Andrew's spirit. She's not even a Tory! But Iain's a Pop-Tart believer.

UPDATE: Iain says she's only running if the Tories and Green back her on a Blue Green ticket.

RE-UPDATE: She's now demanding that UKIP swing in behind as well and that the BNP and TED and all them scum stand down and give her a clear run. And a PH pardon for Reggie and Ronnie Kray and all those good EE lads.

RE-RE-UPDATE: CCHQ now say this is all a load of rubbish, that Iain is very gullible, and that next time he says he's following up a story he'd better do it properly or he'll be off the eh? list. Eh?

What's that Iain? A Mr Marx? From Highgate? An anonymous tip off? From Dave Spart?

Chris Paul said...

I've been touting Dame Shirl and that lovely Lord Jeff for weeks now. But no-one at CCHQ thinks they are suitable ... unlike Mike Read and some boxer chappie.

Anonymous said...

"What about drafting Shaun Woodward?"

Fought him once in a General Election. Bring him on.

Will Parbury said...

how about a live debate/hustings on 18 doughty street?

I like that idea. Just make sure you invite ken along for his own programme.

Anyone who saw Mike Read on the Harvey goldsmith programme get your act together would have thought that he was a delusional nutter oblivious to financial reality and off in a world of his own being an "ideas man". Ideal tory candidate material.

jailhouselawyer said...

I have heard that Dick Wittington is intending to stand.

This mesage was sent from my strawberries and cream registered trademark device...

Anonymous said...

Candidates in British elections stand. They do not run.

Anonymous said...

What's the point when Bullingdon Dave is trying to pull underhanded stunts like Dyke.
Now we know why the EPP pledge proved worthless.
As someone said last night in the pub-"I'd trust him about as far as I could push the QE2 up Bond Street on a wet Monday morning"

Unknown said...

"Mike Read, Mike Read, two seven five and two eight five; Mike Read, Mike Read, Gnashers on Radio One !'"

He made a right prat out of himself on Tuesday night on 'get your act together with Harvey Goldsmith'...............

Anonymous said...

What is 'get your act together with Harvey Goldsmith' ? Is this a west end show ? [i don't live in london]

Anonymous said...

Anon at 4.47 - I can't vote in the Mayoralty Election, not being a Londoner, but think it only fair to point out that Lurline Champagnie may have an exotic name, but sounds like a good candidate from her website. She's a Londoner, worked for the NHS for 40 years, believes in working hard for your money and most important, also believes in Common Sense and Straight Talking.

She sounds honest to me - how often has one been able to say that about a would-be politician!

Anonymous said...

Roland Rat?

Anonymous said...

Heather(that's one in the eye for you Sir Paul) Mills.

Anonymous said...

jafo - fair point, although Lurline would do well to 'fill in the blanks' about her policies.

Then again, looking at how well Dave 'the rave' Cameron is doing without them, perhaps she shouldn't !

Will Parbury said...

What is 'get your act together with Harvey Goldsmith' ? Is this a west end show ? [i don't live in london]

No it's cheap telly. Take assorted hopeless loons. Get successful entertainment promoter HG to bollock them and hope they change and succeed.

From what I saw of the Mike Read was beyond help. Quite sad considering he used to be a massive dj when I was in nappies. Though that is getting an increasingly long time ago.

Anonymous said...

parburypolitica - cheers, but as I have no tv have been spared this.

Surely Mike Read would have been in a presenting / judging role so any lack of talent would be somewhat academic?

Anonymous said...

Was Gary Glitter the makeover challenge Will? being one of Readey's bessies and all that ...

Anonymous said...

Does beg the question 'Who?', when the only recognisable candidates are a has-been DJ and a slimey principle-free toerag who Ken's already beaten twice.

Maybe Dan Hannon could stand, assuming he's disillusioned with life as an MEP after being stabbed in the back by Dave.

Though going by his latest suggested candidate, Dave is probably already in talks with George Galloway or Paul Foot.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Jafo, but she's barking!

Anonymous said...

Is Harvey Proctor free?

Anonymous said...

Iain,

"Elliot Arwas" is running, of CF age.

Anonymous said...

You have forgotten Richard Barnes, Deputy Leader of the COnservative Group on the GLA.

Anonymous said...

I have it on good authority that all of the following are on Party HQ's secret list, but so far have ticked the box for no publicity:

Neil Hamilton, but only on the strict condition that the Party also induces M Fayed to stand as an independent so that he can bring their dispute to a proper conclusion. His main platform at the selection is that the election would be bound to be entertaining; and that Prince Philip will issue a statement of support.

Baroness Thatcher - she may be a little frail to do much but would delegate all that to a deputy at the GLA and has offered herself as a vivid international symbol of London. Party HQ is worried that it wouldn't look democratic as the selection meeting would undoubedly result in her getting at least 98.5% of the votes and only people who know our members would accept that it wasn't rigged. The Party Board is in favour of her candidature as for that reason it could abolish the selection process, making a neat match with the MEP process.

Piers Merchant, who claims strong credentials as a former London MP with a strong track record in attracting the younger female: a crucial voter group in London. Advocates public meetings in parks.

Peter Tapsall MP, who, after a one year transitional period, has pledged to abolish the GLA Council Tax precept and will instead finance the Mayoral office with profits from gold trading. He is hoping for continued Brown influence so he will have a mug as a counter-party.

Most of the above would actually be preferable to any announced candidate so far.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Elliot Arwas is running. A fine orator at the age of 25, one to look our for and maybe just want London needs.

Anonymous said...

And by 'want' I of course mean 'what'!

Anonymous said...

While I rather agree with 'The Hitch' that the post should be abolished, what about Ianin Dale? Seriously

Anonymous said...

Why can the Tories not chosse somebody with some charisma who is not Shagger Norris: surely there is someone else with the charms of the suave scouser??