London mayoral candidate George Galloway says he would appoint radical financial commentator and RT presenter Max Keiser to be his economic advisor if he is elected to City Hall in next year’s election.
Galloway revealed the planned appointment on Twitter, adding that “Mr Banker” should take note.
Galloway, the former Respect party MP for Bradford West, will take part in the May 5, 2016, mayoral election where incumbent Boris Johnson will not be standing, as he was elected an MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in the UK general election. Two-time Mayor Johnson is widely expected to receive a portfolio in the Conservative Cabinet after he steps down as mayor.
Keiser, an American citizen who lives in London, said he and Galloway had been discussing the possibility for “several years,” claiming he could bring “unparalleled experience and expertise to this job.”
If I am elected Mayor of London @maxkeiser will be my chief economics advisor. Mr Banker take note....
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) June 4, 2015
Galloway, who lost his parliamentary seat in May, had previously told Sky News he would only consider running for mayor if he failed to hold his Bradford West seat.
“I won’t run for London Mayor if I am reelected on 7 May. If I am not reelected I will run. It’s as clear an answer as I can possibly give,” he said.
Speaking to RT, Keiser said one of the main focuses of a Galloway-run London would be clamping down on financial crime in the City.
He said keeping the City of London Police Force “accountable for the crime wave in the City these past 10 years is an excellent start in bringing the rule of law back to UK’s banking sector.”
“George and I have been talking about this for several years. With George as mayor we can get the job done of eliminating corrupt City bankers and regulators and in so doing, pave the way for more jobs, more growth, and a more diversified economy; one that does not rely so much on financialization and speculation,” Keiser added.
On June 28, Galloway told LBC Radio he hoped to emulate the Greek anti-austerity party Syriza in the mayoral election.
“[We are in] a period of austerity for the mass of the people, but not for the wealthiest, the most powerful.”
“The people in London who feel that they are forgotten by the mainstream political class will find a voice in me,” he said.
He did not give any details away about the contents of his manifesto, but said that housing was a huge priority for the capital.
READ MORE: George Galloway to stand for London Mayor in 2016
“Housing is the major issue. The fact that no public housing is built, [and] that the Cameron government is committed to housing association homes being sold off, and of course we all know they won’t be replaced by social housing.”
Galloway is very much an outside hope for London Mayor, as he will be up against candidates from the UK’s main political parties – the Conservatives, Labour, UKIP and the Liberal Democrats.
From the Labour Party, former Shadow Education Minister Diane Abbott, former Culture Minister Tessa Jowell, former Transport Minister Sadiq Khan and former Innovation, Universities and Skills Minister David Lammy have all said they will make a bid for the keys to City Hall.
From the Conservative Party, businessman Stephen Greenhalgh, gay rights campaigner Ivan Massow and former England footballer Sol Campbell have also said they will stand.
The Respect Party candidate’s challenge is likely to split the anti-austerity left vote in the mayoral election, however, as the Green Party and the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, two parties that stood in hundreds of parliamentary seats across the UK in the general election, are also likely to stand candidates.