PM hires Alan Sugar
Friday, 5 June 2009 6:27 PM
By Alice Cannet
Businessman and apprentice star Sir Alan Sugar has been given the government role of enterprise tsar as part of the Cabinet reshuffle.
Multimillionaire Sir Alan is also to be made a Lord to integrate Gordon Brown's government, a new development in the political crisis unfolding today.
Brown and Sugar are long-standing friends and the 62 year old from Hackney has given his full backing to the prime minister.
"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 on TV interviews.
"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.
"What needs to be sorted out is the economic climate, small businesses and other enterprises."
As a business and enterprise tsar, Lord-to-be Sugar will be advising the prime minister on how to boost the economy and help struggling businesses.
When asked about Mr Purnell's resignation, Sir Alan said: "You will always have some people who will jump ship, there is no question of that.
"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."
A member of the Business Council for Britain, Sir Alan founded his own electronics company Amstrad at just 21.
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