Jeremy Paxman declines to rule out entering London mayoral race
Having quit reporting the news former BBC presenter Jeremy Paxman seems intent on making it after he refused to rule out standing for London mayor.
Paxman’s last ever Newsnight interview was conducted on a bicycle with current mayor Boris Johnson and he has subsequently declared himself to be a One Nation Tory – suggesting a Conservative ticket might be on the cards for any putative bid.
Johnson is due to step down in 2016, clearing the decks for a new figurehead, with Conservative MPs said to be particularly excited by the prospect of a big hitter joining their ranks.
Paxman is signed up to present Channel 4’s general election coverage and may be called upon to host one of the leader’s debates in the run up to the vote. When confronted by The Times about media speculation however Paxman demurred: “I shouldn’t bother, if I were you.”
Other potential Conservative candidates are businessman Ivan Massow and LBC broadcaster Nick Ferrari, although the latter joked that he ‘couldn’t take the pay cut’.