Sir Alan hired in government role

IveSeenTheLight

from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8085254.stm

Sir Alan hired in government role


The star of The Apprentice had been spotted at Downing Street this week


Multimillionaire businessman Sir Alan Sugar has been made enterprise czar in Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle. Sir Alan is set to be nominated for a seat in the House of Lords in order for him to join the government.
Having made his fortune through television set-top box maker Amstrad, his profile has rocketed through his starring role in BBC's The Apprentice.
Famed for his "You're Fired" catchphrase, Sir Alan said that the prime minister should stay in his job.
Brown backing



There are always people, not only in politics but in business, that don't agree with certain things




Sir Alan Sugar



"A lot has gone on in the past few weeks, and he is resolute in his position and is going to see out his governance and, I think, quite rightly so," he said.
"We need to get the economy moving again and, as far as I'm concerned, you couldn't have a better person to do that because of his background as a chancellor.
"Having had the pleasure of meeting past prime ministers I can tell you, for what it's worth, that this fellow should stay in place.

Sir Alan and the prime minister are long-standing friends

"What needs to be sorted out is the economic climate, small businesses and other enterprises."
Sir Alan is a long-standing friend and supporter of the PM and is also a member of the Business Council for Britain, which advises government on issues affecting enterprise and the economy.
Asked about the resignation of former Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell, Sir Alan said that some people would always "jump ship".
"There are always people, not only in politics but in business that don't agree with certain things.
"One person writing a letter doesn't mean that everyone is collapsing like a pack of cards."
Blips

CABINET RESHUFFLE
Alistair Darling - stays as chancellor
Alan Johnson - new home secretary
David Miliband - stays as foreign secretary
Jack Straw - stays as justice secretary
Lord Mandelson - stays as business secretary
John Hutton - quitting as defence secretary
Jim Murphy - stays Scottish Secretary
Sir Alan Sugar - made enterprise czar



LIVE: Brown fights for his future

Having started out selling car aerials and cigarette lighters, at the age of 21 he launched his own electronics company, Amstrad - Alan Michael Sugar Trading - in 1968.
The firm floated on the stock market in 1980, its core business based on hi-fis and the groundbreaking PCW8256 personal computer.
By the age of 40 he was worth about £600m, making him the 15th richest person in the UK.
His career has not been without blips and the stock market crash of 1987 slashed the value of Amstrad to £197m, including a record one-day fall of £400m.
The company's fortunes took years to bounce back. It was sold to BSkyB in 2007 for £125m.

Amstrad helped make Sir Alan's fortune

His involvement with Tottenham Hotspur also ended badly. Hailed as a saviour at first, he invested heavily, paying off £20m of debts but his relationship with the fans collapsed after he sacked manager Terry Venables - acrimony he said left him feeling "as though I'd killed Bambi".
Sir Alan sold his shares in the club in 2001, after death threats to him and his family.
Amstrad has also had some less-than-successful products - including the PenPad, an early type of electronic personal organiser, and videophone - which combined phone, video calling and e-mailing - both of which failed to capture the public's imagination.
Much of Sir Alan's wealth now comes from his extensive property empire.
And despite his feisty image, Sir Alan Sugar is heavily involved in charity work, and has long been a supporter of Great Ormond Street children's hospital.

IveSeenTheLight

What's the bets he says: -

"Gordon Brown. Your'e fired"

inspector_monkfish

apparantly he sailed in on the Titanic this morning....;):D

Really2

But labour are so anti enterprise they want evey one buying and working for large companies.

Labour are turning a nation of shop keepers in to shelf stackers:)

StevieJ

Smart move.

julieq

All the same, despite Alan Sugar's profile in the public eye, he's not what you would call one of the country's foremost industrialists. He's struck lucky one or two times, mostly he keeps things ticking over.

It's a populist move. Sugar is only involved because the Apprentice is on TV at the moment.

Personally I'd bring in Simon Cowell as cabinet enforcer, I think they could all benefit from a bit of Cowell's brand of shrewd and cogent criticism.

Really2

julieq wrote: »

All the same, despite Alan Sugar's profile in the public eye, he's not what you would call one of the country's foremost industrialists. He's struck lucky one or two times, mostly he keeps things ticking over.

It's a populist move. Sugar is only involved because the Apprentice is on TV at the moment.

Personally I'd bring in Simon Cowell as cabinet enforcer, I think they could all benefit from a bit of Cowell's brand of shrewd and cogent criticism.

Actually like many of the times top 100 most of his wealth is actually tied up in property.
I don't think you can take away he is a very shrewd business man but labour just ain't for small business.

Look how many global tenders they have set up that only masive companies can get on.

Yakubu22

Pathetic PR stunt! As for Simon Cowell, it's so ridiculous it's almost plausible...now where did I put my Australia Visa application form?

itsnever2lateisit?

Does this mean he becomes a Lord?

Max_Headroom_3

"We need to get the economy moving again and, as far as I'm concerned, you couldn't have a better person to do that because of his background as a chancellor.

Albeit a chancellor that encouraged and presided over an economy built on massive massive debt, and who oversaw the biggest boom and bust in history, and who's motto on becoming chancellor was "there will be no return to boom and bust".

But yes, he was chancellor, well done Sir Al. :rolleyes:

ad9898_3

I heard Alan Sugar on 5 live a few months ago, he was utterly useless, couldn't or wouldn't answer any questions, The Apprentice must be well edited to make hime look good. On another note he's upto the eyeballs in commercial property so if he gets hold of a microphone, expect some good old fashioned VI spinning.