Gay Tory Ivan Massow launches Mayoral bid by putting himself on £100,000 note
Conservative entrepreneur Ivan Massow has launched his campaign for Mayor of London – by putting himself on a cartoon £100,000 note.
Mr Massow is an openly gay businessman who first rose to prominence in the 1990s, when he began offering financial services and insurance specially catered to gay people.
He revealed in November that he would seek the Conservative nomination to succeed Boris Johnson as Mayor of London next year – and officially launched his campaign this week.
In a YouTube ad ‘Who’s Ivan?’, he said: “I’m Ivan and I want to be your Mayor of London.
“Let you tell me about me. I’m gay. I’m an ex-alcoholic, I’m dyslexic, I’m adopted, I’m an activist, I’m a businessman, I’m a disruptor, I’m a doer.
“I’m not your typical politician-politician. I believe London needs someone who understands the issues that normal people face”.
The animated video – which portrayed Ivan the campaigner in a number of situations – demonstrated ‘business’ by featuring him on the face of a £100,000 note.
He was mocked by blogger Guido Fawkes, who joked: “Some might say mocking up a £100,000 note with your face on it isn’t the best way for a millionaire politician to show he is in touch with the concerns of everyday people.”
Mr Massow attracted controversy last year when he complained that today’s gay scene seems “obsessed” with drugs and sex, resulting in an empty world of hedonism.
He claimed a straight mayor would be unable to deal with the problem as it would be seen as homophobic, adding: “You need to take someone gay to take a hard line with ourselves, with our own community.”
Watch the clip below:
