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SIR Alan Sugar has been approached to be Labour's candidate for London Mayor in an attempt to stop Ken Livingstone standing again.
The multi-millionaire star of reality TV show The Apprentice is being lined up by senior party figures as a credible runner against Boris Johnson.
The Standard has learned that Ken Clark, Labour's London director, has telephoned Sir Alan for what Labour sources said was an "exploratory conversation" about him standing.
"Ken Clark described the application process," said one source. "The conversation was brief and pleasant."
Sir Alan did not commit himself. However, he is considered by some in the Labour Party to be the only potential candidate in the field so far with the combination of experience and name recognition to take on the Tory Mayor and prevent another election attempt by Mr Livingstone. This week the former mayor vowed to stand against Mr Johnson and referred to himself as "the Labour candidate".
In a move seen as a calculated attempt to raise Sir Alan's profile in the run-up to the selection of Labour's mayoral candidate, he spoke via video link at a major fundraising rally for the London party at Canary Wharf last night.
The businessman was cheered by the audience of about 200 Labour donors and key figures including the Prime Minister and former Downing Street spin-doctor Alastair Campbell.
The rally, also attended by the former deputy prime minister, John Prescott, was to have been addressed by another potential "Stop Ken" candidate, the current minister for London Tony McNulty, but he pulled out at the last minute.
Mr Livingstone was denied a speaking slot and did not attend.
Sir Alan has the advantage of a positive public profile, knowledge of running a large organisation, and previous experience of the ups and downs of public opinion from his time as the owner of Tottenham Hotspur. He has also become close to Gordon Brown and is backing a government campaign for apprenticeships, a key Labour policy. However, a number of other candidates, including Mr McNulty, are also discreetly taking soundings amid growing dismay in the party at Mr Livingstone's repeatedly-stated intention to be Labour's standard-bearer in 2012.
Two former Labour ministers for London have this week broken their silence, openly criticising Mr Livingstone, and in one case explicitly saying that he should not be the party's candidate. In an interview with Regeneration And Renewal magazine, Nick Raynsford, MP for Greenwich and the London minister who set up the mayoralty, claimed Mr Livingstone's defeat in last May's election was "self-inflicted".
Mr Raynsford added: "Ken mishandled the questions over his aide Lee Jasper's propriety ... Had he accepted that Jasper's behaviour was unacceptable, Ken could still be Mayor of London today."
Mr Livingstone continues, however, to offer strong support to Mr Jasper, who was forced to resign as his policing adviser after the Evening Standard exposed his role in the misuse of millions of pounds of City Hall money. Only six days ago, Mr Livingstone invited Mr Jasper on to his LBC radio show to claim that he had been "cleared" of all impropriety.
In his interview, Mr Raynsford said that Labour needed a "new generation politician" as its Mayoral candidate. He said of Mr Livingstone: "I don't think he meets the new generation test."
In an article for next month's issue of Progress, a Labour magazine, Mr Livingstone's campaign manager for last year's elections, Tessa Jowell, criticised him for neglecting the suburbs, saying: "We have to be as attentive to the attitudes and aspirations of Zone Six as we are to Zone One."
Reader views (47)
Not a good idea. His record on equal opportunities and women employees speaks volumes about the man!
- Bruce Edwards, London
Just because Sugar is one of Btrown's cronies doesn't mean he will be a good mayor for London. In fact being taken in by Brown shows he is not really very smart at all. If Labour want to lose again then bring him on. Most people I talk to can't stand him. He and Brown go well together, full of arrogance, pomposity,bull and utterly useless. At least Boris cares for London and it's people, not for himself all the time.
- John Keating, romsey hampshire uk
Appalling idea - at least Ken, misguided though he was, had London's interests at heart not his own. Sugar is a small time businessman who got lucky in property - not Amstrad - a venture whose success could best be described as modest.
- Clive, London, UK
We need a mayor that is not associated with any political party,the last couple of years it been tit for tat between labour and conservatives over the least thing when it should of been about improving london.
Johnson is just a Livingston in a top hat-I think Sir Allan would sort the mess, these two clowns have turned london into a circus.
- Murph, LONDON
If the Labour party despise Livingstone that much, and he really wants to stand for mayor again, let him stand as an independent...Just like he did the first time.
At least he's got a long-term future vision for London...as opposed to the current mayor.
- Mark H, London England
I dont know where you got the current mayor from, but thow him back for he is bad for your fine city
- Russ W, australia
For god's sake NO!
- David, Fleet UK
Alan Sugar has confirmed that he HAS NOT been asked to be Mayor. This is just another fantasy article by someone who lives in cloud cookoo land who has yet to show the proof of the campaign he waged against our mighty leader Ken last year.
As for NOGO BOJO well TFL has now lost Tim O'Toole the best manager London Underground has had. Now who will want to take on a job that is linked a a Mayor who justs cuts and burns projects.
Clowns may be funny in a circus but I would put one in charge of all the circuses London has (e.g Cambige,Oxford,Piccadilly,St Giles etc.)
Sir Alans links to Labour show how he remembers his working class roots and is not just a working class SNOB.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
Once the Boris bashers get it out of their systems they will have to accept that Boris has got what it takes. he will prove to be a great mayor.
- M Wilkinson, London UK
Sugar is totally unsuitable for public office. The Apprentice programme is a vehicle built around Sugar's abrasive personality. He did not fit into the team concept at Tottenham and would most certainly cause many problems before resigning if London Mayor. The fact that he is being considered by Labour does reveal that they are totally incapable of looking at anybody and seeing them for what they really are. Whether it be failed bankers such as Sir Fred Goodwin, given knighthood by Brown, so called pensions expert Lord Myners or even Blair's 'I can do business with him' description of Putin.
- Harry H, London UK
who on earth thinks Alan Sugar has a "positive public profile"? He comes across as loud-mouthed and rude. Just what we DON'T need in politics today.
- Dorothy, London N3
I THINK ANY OTHER PERSON WOULD DO A BETTER JOB THAN THE CURRENT MAYOR BORIS JOHNSON WHERE DID THEY FIND HIM?
- Russ, australia
They can get Mickey Mouse for all i care as long as Ken dosnt come back.
- Mr S.Port, London
Oh dear no: Fred Goodwin should be shoved into this slot pronto and enable him to top up his meagre pension, poor dear. Bless, bless.
- Graeme, la tour de peilz switzerland
Matt, John et al: don't you mean "You're fired" (not your fired). At least learn some grammar before you attack Boris.
- Annabelle, london
I would imagine that any other person would make a better Mayor than the present one. What on earth were Londoners think about when they elected this misfit.
A G Leeds
- Awesome Geronimo, Leeds UK
l would like to see a good fight put up between good old ken,and mr your fired sugar, as long as it means that the buffoon boris is out of office,he does not do anything for london,just himself and his fellow tories to get what they want,he is using the office and not to the good of LONDON and its people.
- Meg,Former Essex Girl, merthyr,south wales
Hello London,
I would love to see Sir Alan walk into Boris Johnsons office and say to him ....YOUR FIRED?.
I would pay money to see it.
- John L., Scarborough, N. YKS, U.K.
Leon: "Are we not in danger of moving to far down the celebrity path for the mayoralty?"
Too far? Boris Johnson is mayor of London, it's gone too far already mate!
- Prj45, London
P Staker - To stop the Tories from getting back in?
- Fred, London
sugar has to be better then the blond buffoon boris
- Guy, shepherd's bush
Are we not in danger of moving to far down the celebrity path for the mayoralty?
- Leon, London
Now I know Labour is down and out
- Alan Green, Woodford Green
Why would anyone want a Labour Mayor ever, ever, again?
- P Staker, London
YOUR FIRED
- Matt, yorkshire
Thanks to expensive PR campaigns and the BBC's gargantuan advertising budget Sugar is rarely out of the news. Perhaps he's started to believe his own publicity and imagine he's very popular. He'd be a fool to put it to the test in an election.
- Lizzie, Hackney, UK
The Labour party are wasting their time. Nothing is going to stop Ken running again. He's obsessed.
- Thalia, London UK
Boris is for ever, he is great and beautiful
- Antonia, London
One of the reasons I left London was because of Red Ken being Mayor and ruining the place. I can't honestly see Sir Alan Sugar running against Boris, Boris will get in with a landslide whoever goes against him, in my humble opinion.
- Yvonne, Doncaster, UK
This is great news. Hopefully he'll get an Amstrad computer to run the congestion charging system and we'll never have to pay again!!! HOORAY.
- Bob, Basildon, Great Britain
Sir Alan is an excellent businessman and down to earth. I think it is an excellent idea.
Livingstone would not be getting my vote.
- Janet, Esher, UK
Absolutely no way will Alan Sugar ever be London Mayor.He could never rival Boris's intelligence, charisma and ability to interact with the people.Boris's quirky humour is also appealing and refreshing and a sense humour is something Alan Sugar does not have nor for that matter does Ken!
- Lucy, Kingston, UK
Hopefully you mean Mayor of Moscow.
We do not want another mediocre socialist obsessed with watching his own pathetic performances on TV causing havoc in London.
- Joe, Thornton Heath, UK
you're all missing the point. the story isn't alan sugar, the story is the lengths the labour party will go to in order to prevent Ken from standing again.
rightly so, I might add.
- Scott, London
Presumably no-one from 'Dragons Den' nor 'Strictly Come Dancing' was available . . . ?!
- Roz, Chamonix, France
I think he would be a very good choice. He started out with nothing and has managed to work his way up to be one of UK's most successful businessman. He possesses no-nonsense commercial acumen, who would spot the deadwood and timewasters a mile off. Perhaps this is why members of Boris's administration are dropping like flies. He's what London needs after years of rubbish from all the political parties. Time to get someone who hasn't got their snout in the trough.
- Sonia Mcdonnell, St Albans, Herts
What on EARTH is Alan Sugar doing getting involved with them? He must be losing his grip. Alan Sugar as an independent, maybe; Alan Sugar as Labour - if you've got any shares in any company he still runs, dump them now.
- Sarah, Surrey
This is all in vain anyway - Lest I speak too soon but Boris is a fantastic Mayor who is actually *listening* to Londoners and what we want.
Boris is doing a brilliant job making London a cleaner, friendlier and safer place to live - and he is repairing the damage wreaked by Livingstone.
The only viable threat to Boris would be Richard Branson running under the "auspices" of Virgin. He is a highly intelligent, successful and down to earth entrepreneur who has accomplished amazing feats and would be very beneficial to London.
- Dan, London,UK
This is being done in the hope of making a 'reality' TV show, isn't it?! 'Most of you will be fired; one will be hired.'
- John, London
tv reality show = disbarred?
i think londoners will see that the precendence of a tv reality should not become a prerequisite platform to run for an elected post.
i like sugar, but this is sending out a very bad message. and a dangerous one.
just on this principle londoners should not allow this to happen.
- Ray, london
These are desperate times, clearly.
- Chuck Unsworth, London UK
No he hasn't. He was quoted on LBC radio as saying "It's a load of rubbish".
- Escobar A-Lop-Lop, Camden County
Big mistake. What does Sugar know about politics? Anyway it'll just give Branson an excuse to run on an Independent Virgin Ticket... and he'd probably win. Its the last thing we want.
- Dhanraj, basildon
What a ludicrous idea. Sugar is a businessman, not a politician. London is not a business.
- Ken, Bexleyheath
Is it 1 April already?
These political roles need people who can inspire, lead and motivate people.
Leading is about relationships with people from fellow Directors to the receiptionist to the vendors to partners.
From what I have seen of Sugar's methods he would alienate even more people than Ken Livingstone.
I fail to understand why anyoen thinks that Alan Sugar
- Ian Gilberton, Newcastle
I am not a fan and I believe he would soon fall out with NuLab in its death throes. He is also really a tory at heart and I doubt he will tie himself to the sinking ship that is Broon's ZanuLab.
- Andrew E, Leaving the sinking ship England
Sir Alan? The man who put the wrong operating system into his Amstrad computers long ago? The man who nearly had Spurs relegated? And more recently on "The Apprentice" the man who gave the prize to a male fragrance product with spermicidal properties. He can certainly talk and do financial deals, but what else can he do exactly?
- Tom, Maidstone UK
