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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Digby rubbishes Tory mayor claim | Digby rubbishes Tory mayor claim |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Labour minister Sir Digby Jones has described as "rubbish" claims he approached the Conservatives about standing as their mayoral candidate. | Labour minister Sir Digby Jones has described as "rubbish" claims he approached the Conservatives about standing as their mayoral candidate. |
| He said he had a conversation with Tory leader David Cameron two months ago about next year's mayoral contest. | He said he had a conversation with Tory leader David Cameron two months ago about next year's mayoral contest. |
| But he said he would only consider standing as an independent - not as a member of the Conservative Party. | But he said he would only consider standing as an independent - not as a member of the Conservative Party. |
| The former CBI chief has since been made a Labour trade minister but has refused to join the Labour party. | The former CBI chief has since been made a Labour trade minister but has refused to join the Labour party. |
| Earlier, a Tory spokesman said it was Sir Digby who had initially approached the Conservatives about the prospect of becoming their mayoral candidate. | Earlier, a Tory spokesman said it was Sir Digby who had initially approached the Conservatives about the prospect of becoming their mayoral candidate. |
| This group of businessmen rang me up and I said I would think about it as an independent Sir Digby Jones | This group of businessmen rang me up and I said I would think about it as an independent Sir Digby Jones |
| But Sir Digby denied this. He told the BBC he had initially been sounded out about the possibility of entering the mayoral contest by business contacts. | But Sir Digby denied this. He told the BBC he had initially been sounded out about the possibility of entering the mayoral contest by business contacts. |
| "This group of businessmen rang me up and I said I would think about it as an independent," he said. | "This group of businessmen rang me up and I said I would think about it as an independent," he said. |
| He said he was then telephoned by Mr Cameron over the May Bank Holiday weekend - just over a week after former BBC director general Greg Dyke rejected a Tory approach over the mayoral race. | He said he was then telephoned by Mr Cameron over the May Bank Holiday weekend - just over a week after former BBC director general Greg Dyke rejected a Tory approach over the mayoral race. |
| 'Fabulous' | 'Fabulous' |
| Mr Cameron told Sir Digby it would be "fabulous" if he became the party's candidate, the former CBI chief said. | Mr Cameron told Sir Digby it would be "fabulous" if he became the party's candidate, the former CBI chief said. |
| But he also made it clear Sir Digby would have to join the Tory party if he wanted to be their candidate. | But he also made it clear Sir Digby would have to join the Tory party if he wanted to be their candidate. |
| Sir Digby said he replied "categorically not...and on that basis, it all went very quiet". | Sir Digby said he replied "categorically not...and on that basis, it all went very quiet". |
| Digby clearly believes that the nation is best served by working as a minister in Gordon Brown's government Labour spokesman | Digby clearly believes that the nation is best served by working as a minister in Gordon Brown's government Labour spokesman |
| Sir Digby is one of a string of non-Labour figures to be drafted into Gordon Brown's first government. | Sir Digby is one of a string of non-Labour figures to be drafted into Gordon Brown's first government. |
| He is to be made a peer and will work as trade promotion and investment minister in the department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. | |
| He will sit on the Labour benches in the House of Lords and will be expected to vote with Labour peers but he has refused to join the party. | He will sit on the Labour benches in the House of Lords and will be expected to vote with Labour peers but he has refused to join the party. |
| Labour 'disquiet' | Labour 'disquiet' |
| He has upset some in the Labour ranks after saying he hoped the party would become "less in thrall" to the unions. | He has upset some in the Labour ranks after saying he hoped the party would become "less in thrall" to the unions. |
| At a regular meeting of Labour peers on Wednesday night there was "a lot of disquiet" expressed about his appointment, BBC Newsnight's Michael Crick reported. | At a regular meeting of Labour peers on Wednesday night there was "a lot of disquiet" expressed about his appointment, BBC Newsnight's Michael Crick reported. |
| But Labour has seized on Sir Digby's apparent rejection of Mr Cameron to attack the party over its quest to find a well-known candidate to take on Labour's Ken Livingstone in London next year. | But Labour has seized on Sir Digby's apparent rejection of Mr Cameron to attack the party over its quest to find a well-known candidate to take on Labour's Ken Livingstone in London next year. |
| 'Long line' | 'Long line' |
| A Labour spokesman said: "Digby is one in a long line of people linked with the Tories' desperate search to find someone who wants to be their candidate for London mayor. | A Labour spokesman said: "Digby is one in a long line of people linked with the Tories' desperate search to find someone who wants to be their candidate for London mayor. |
| "Digby clearly believes that the nation is best served by working as a minister in Gordon Brown's government." | "Digby clearly believes that the nation is best served by working as a minister in Gordon Brown's government." |
| Tory higher education spokesman Boris Johnson is the latest figure to be linked with the Tory mayoral candidacy, although the party still plans to push ahead with a series of public votes over the final decision. | Tory higher education spokesman Boris Johnson is the latest figure to be linked with the Tory mayoral candidacy, although the party still plans to push ahead with a series of public votes over the final decision. |
| Applications to be the Tory candidate have to be in by 16 July. | Applications to be the Tory candidate have to be in by 16 July. |