Sketchup: Lord Sugar's maiden speech
All eyes were on the House of Lords as the man formerly known as "Sur Alan" made his maiden speech as Lord Sugar of Clapton.
Although he was making his debut in the Queen's Speech on the economy, how he stuck firmly to one topic throughout - himself:
"It was a sort of I Did It My Way and I Will Survive all wrapped into one long rags-to-riches boast. It was not so much a speech as karaoke."
that the new peer spoke of little else, even managing to name-check the TV programme that transformed him from successful entrepreneur to a household name.
It was a thoughtful speech, devoted to his thoughts about himself and his multitudinous talents. He was a new boy on the block, he said, 'and certainly the apprentice'. Ho ho.
that the normally super-confident Lord Sugar looked positively nervous before he spoke and appeared out of place on the red leather benches:
Before saying a word, Lord Sugar did something I have not seen from a peer. He shot his cuffs. Performed that gesture Del Boy Trotter does when he reckons he is on to a good thing. There may even have been a small tweak of the neck.
that Lord Mandelson's reaction to the speech was worth watching:
Mandelson's rictus might have been chiselled into his face by Benvenuto Cellini. He hadn't been enjoying this since Lord Hunt had teasingly stated that Lord Sugar 'speaks with the authority of Cabinet'. Lord Mandelson clearly felt that Sugar speaks with the authority of a highly-edited, total-format TV robot with a catchphrase.
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