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Who's in and who's out
Gideon Spanier, Evening Standard23 Jun 2008
The energy of London is nowhere more reflected than in the shifting balance of power among its thoughtmakers, trendsetters and leaders. Every week, Gideon Spanier looks at who's in and who's out.
MAKING MOVES
LITERARY LIFE
CAROLINE MICHEL, 48
UBER-AGENT
Glamorous literary figure who looks to have finally won a power struggle for control of the PFD agency with a £4 million investment from journalist and publisher Andrew Neil. The deal caps a tumultuous couple of years during which Michel worked first for the William Morris agency and then faced an internal revolt when she defected to run PFD. Married to Labour peer and former publisher Matthew Evans, she has been dubbed Lady Gush.
NEW MEDIA
IAIN DALE, 45
TORY BLOGGER
Regarded as the leading political blogger in the Westminster village, Dale's stories are often followed up by newspapers but he freely admits he makes little money out of his indefatigable postings online. Now he is launching a magazine in good old-fashioned print, called Total Politics, aimed at Westminster junkies. Dale tied the knot in a civil partnership this month.
UNDER PRESSURE
SPORT
DAVID HIGGINS, 53
OLYMPICS BOSS
Australian chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority is facing mounting problems over the funding of the 2012 Games. He suffered a new blow after one contractor warned banks were reluctant to lend money to help it build the Olympic Village because of credit crunch fears. Higgins will have to earn every penny of his reported £600,000 salary to keep the finances on track.
WOBBLE
POLITICS
ANDY BURNHAM, 38
CULTURE SECRETARY
Rising star who is finding life not so easy in the spotlight. He struggled to defuse a row with human rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti after he made disobliging comments over which she threatened to sue. He is also throwing his weight around in media circles, refusing to relax rules on product placement, which has upset TV bosses. Married, he is a devoted Everton football fan.
UP AND COMING
FINANCE
PAUL TUCKER, 50
BANK OF ENGLAND DIRECTOR
Key figure who already helps to decide interest rates at the Bank, he is tipped to take over the role of deputy governor in charge of financial stability, following the abrupt departure of incumbent Sir John Gieve. Tucker, a Cambridge philosophy graduate, is highly regarded in the City and on Wall Street, where he is known as "the Bank's man in New York" because of his frequent visits.
FILM
OLLY BLACKBURN, 36
DIRECTOR
Blackburn trained at New York University film school for four years but always wanted to return to his native London to make movies. His debut Donkey Punch, a hard-hitting sex-and-death thriller which he co-wrote, has its London premiere next month - after being screened at the Sundance and Edinburgh film festivals. One to watch.
