Lord Sugar’s Zoom faux pas at Apprentice Q&A, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Nimby campaign and a dry January for the BBPA; catch up on the latest gossip in The Capitalist
A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR
Lord Sugar might be the one getting fired if he doesn’t better his professionalism during his appearances at public events. The billionaire business mogul zoomed into a media launch for the 20th season of The Apprentice this week, but was distracted from answering questions put to him by dozens of assembled journalists when his phone rang.
Organisers had to quickly put Alan on mute while he took the call, putting questions to Baroness Brady and Tim Campbell MBE instead. He also appeared distracted at other points during the Q&A, and later revealed he’d been tapping away on a computer just out of shot as he had a bill to pay. If the show wasn’t doing so well – it’s still pulling in an average audience of over 5.6m per season – Lord Sugar might be the one hauling his suitcase to the black cab and heading home.
SHERLOCK (NO) HOMES
Benedict Cumberbatch and Justine Thornton are facing defeat in their Nimby campaign to stop a £5.6m block of flats being built near their Dartmouth Park Homes. The council looks set to approve the plan, overruling objections that it could “set a precedent.. [for].. mega development” and was “too tall”. One person who may tentatively welcome the news is Thornton’s husband, Ed Miliband, whose government has pledged to build 1.4m homes by the end of this parliament. Given that new housing starts in London have plummeted by 72 per cent, five new flats on a Labour minister’s street is surely the least we can expect?
OFF BRAND
When The Capitalist reported last week on the death of dry January we may have been exaggerating. We have found an abstinence enthusiast in an unlikely corner: the British Beer and Pub Association. Torrin MacLauchlan, their chief lobbyist and pint titan, most often to be found polishing off a few cold ones around Westminster, has given her liver a break. Perhaps the productivity boost helped secure that welcome government U-turn on business rates? Cheers to that and bring on 1st Feb.
ON YOUR MARX
The National Portrait Gallery says its collections reveal “the inspiring and surprising personal stories that have shaped a nation”, and now a new face is set to join the prestigious institution – one that certainly qualifies as a surprise, if not exactly inspiring. Sky News reports that the government is set to unveil Christina McAnea as a new trustee of the gallery. McAnea, a former member of the Communist Party, has worked for the trade union Unison since 1993, becoming general secretary in 2021. Onwards, comrades!
C(est la)V
Speaking of people who don’t appear to be particularly qualified for their role, the Chancellor has appointed her former chief of staff, Katie Martin, as her new business advisor. With business confidence at record lows you’d think Rachel Reeves would want to arm herself with an experienced corporate operator. Instead, she’s turned to a Westminster insider whose background is almost entirely confined to the public and not-for-profit sectors. Clearly the Chancellor rates Martin highly (she’s been granted a life peerage) but wouldn’t experience of running a business be more useful than eight years as a Whitehall press officer and a comms job at Citizens Advice? Just a thought.
LONDON GOES BANANAS
The City held its breath last week ahead of January’s biggest data drop: Clubcard Unpacked, unveiling the nation’s favourite meal deal of 2025. The chicken club sandwich, egg pot and Red Bull reigned supreme, with the energy drink usurping Coca Cola for the podium spot. Tesco also revealed that Londoners have a penchant for bananas, with the capital the only place where the fruit was more popular than milk among Clubcard members.