Muslim lined up as Norris deputy in mayoral race

A 35-year-old Muslim businessman is being lined up as Steve Norris's running mate in an attempt to win ethnic voters to the Tory cause in the 2004 London mayoral elections.

Supporters of Syed Kamall, a management consultant and former Tory Parliamentary candidate, are urging to run for Deputy Mayor alongside Mr Norris.

In what activists say would be a "dream ticket" for Iain Duncan Smith's bid to win new support, Mr Kamall could partner Norris early next year.

Mr Kamall was Tory candidate in West Ham in the 2001 general election, winning a two per cent swing from Labour. He narrowly missed winning a seat on the Greater London Assembly in 2000.

With Trevor Phillips pulling out of the race for Labour's nomination, he would be the only ethnic candidate for mayor or deputy of any of the three main parties.

The son of a former bus driver, Mr Kamall is being backed enthusiastically by Tories who want to broaden the party's appeal in an election that is likely to take place a year before the next general election.

Mr Norris, who came second to Ken Livingstone in the 2000 Mayoral election, is almost certain to seek the Tory candidacy again, although his allies stress he is not taking the nomination for granted.

The former transport minister, who has known Mr Kamall for several years, said yesterday that he would make an excellent Deputy Mayor of London. "Given that I'm not even the party's candidate, it would not be right for me to begin to speculate about who might be an appropriate deputy mayor. The deputy mayor also has to be drawn from the assembly," he said.

"But if Syed Kamall were elected, he would certainly be a very serious candidate. I think he's absolutely first class.

"He's extremely competent, he's got a management track record and he's in his thirties. In particular, he would be an excellent candidate in London."

Mr Kamall has won party plaudits for his attacks on Labour councils' incompetence in London and would be sure to campaign hard on crime and transport failures in the capital.

He helped Mr Norris launch the Tory's ethnic minorities manifesto for the 2001 general election in Canning Town, East London, last year.