Londoner's Diary: Sadiq Khan goes to Davos - mayor hits Economic Forum

In today's Diary: Sadiq Khan joins the global elite | No cash for Karl Marx workers | Michael Gove has a fan at last | Barbara Taylor Bradford talks sex at 83 | Akala pens some monkey bars | Trump's mystery Wikileaks | Killer fortune cookie | No fall for Stella McCartney
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11 January 2017

Wax your skis and work on your power stance. It’s Davos time! Global power brokers — and Shakira — are getting ready to congregate for the World Economic Forum next week, but all eyes in London will be on Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is attending the summit for the first time.

Our super-smooth Chancellor Philip Hammond is also attending the conference but his Downing Street neighbour Theresa May may avoid the Swiss Alps this time around — she’s more of a Swiss summer hiker.

This year’s shindig is co-organised by Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Danish PM and wife of Welsh MP Stephen Kinnock. Xi Jinping is the first Chinese President to lead a delegation from his country to the forum.

Sadiq is booked to deliver a speech on London and Brexit to an audience of business leaders at a dinner hosted by Morgan Stanley on January 18, and the next day he will join the World Economic Forum European Strategy Group, where business and political leaders discuss the future of Europe.

As well as his salopettes, Sadiq Khan will also be packing his favourite mantra “London is open” to offer up to international investors. “We need to work with our European partners to secure the best possible Brexit deal for London and to show businesses and people from across the world that London remains open to trade, investment, talent and tourism, despite the referendum result,” he told The Londoner.

Unusually, Google won’t be holding its annual glitzy party. We hear that this may be because it gives off too much of a global elite vibe, not the sort of thing one wants on the eve of the inauguration of Donald Trump.

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The Barbara Taylor Bradford film season hits the True Entertainment channel next week, starting with an adaptation of the bestseller A Woman of Substance. But the 83-year-old author says she’s too busy in the bedroom to watch TV. “I have more energy than any 40-year-old woman I know. Bob (her husband, who produces the movies) says ‘I’m going to have to shoot you’,” in response to her demands. “I’m very energetic. I’ve never stopped.”

At last Michael Gove makes a good call

Michael Gove has a bit more time on his hands these days as a backbench MP, and was able to cheer up a fan and his mum yesterday.

“My commute this morning was entertained by a lovely encounter between Michael Gove and a very starstruck young man,” wrote a Twitter user. “The 15-minute chat ended with him giving MG his mum’s phone number — ‘She won’t believe it’s you man’.”

“He was a lovely chap,” said Gove on his own account later.

And he confirmed he had phoned the lucky lady too. “I rang her and she’s a delightful lady,” Gove tweeted. That’s one way to win back the public’s affections.

Stella night out for New York's glitterati

The stars donned their gladrags at New York’s Cotton Club last night for the launch of Stella McCartney’s 2017 Fall collection.

Autumn has come early this year. The off-kilter collection includes striped dresses and superhero-printed suits. Stella herself embraced superstar Alicia Keys while actresses Naomi Watts and Julianne Moore a pose-off.

Batman star Maggie Gyllenhaal sipped on a cocktail in a sultry red dress. Iconic New Yorker Jerry Seinfeld was also at the party, perhaps in the market for some new (stand-up) material? Here’s to a well-dressed 2017.

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As Buzzfeed releases unverified documents suggesting the Russians have compromising material on Donald Trump, Guardian journo Hadley Freeman asks: “Perhaps the most revealing thing is that this report wasn’t published by WikiLeaks,” she tweeted. “Isn’t this exactly what WikiLeaks is for?” A golden observation.

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Trade of the day: “I’m thinkin’ orange chicken for life and we’ll let you off the hook.” Rock band The Killers tweeted to Chinese restaurant Panda Express after a fortune cookie revealed a line from their hit song, Smile Like You Mean It.

Black Marx for the mean British Library

Happy anniversary next year to Karl Marx who was born in 1818. Marx, an intellectual exile from his native Germany, took refuge in Soho and hung out in the British Library, then housed in the British Museum, where he wrote Das Kapital.

How lovely then that the British Library, now in King’s Cross, will be marking the bicentenary and hiring staff to help. It is advertising an appointment for someone with both a PhD and event management experience who will find “creative ways in which the Library can mark his 200th birthday”. The reward for all this hard work from this highly qualified individual? Erm, none. “The library itself is not able to provide payment,” says the advert.

One can’t help think that workers’ champion Marx will be spinning in his Highgate grave.

Akala’s offbeat book deal

Unusual beats from Akala, the hip-hop artist from Kentish Town. The MOBO award-winner is releasing his debut children’s book. Titled Hip and Hop: You Can Do Anything, the book follows the adventures of a cool hippo named Hip and his pal Hop. Throughout the stories the adorable pair rap inspirational messages.

The book will be released by Oxford University Press. At first glance, hip-hop and picture books seem like strange bedfellows but on closer inspection they have a lot in common. Pete Marley, editor of children’s books at OUP, said: “Both forms use rhythm, rhyme, and repetition to engage their audiences.”

Akala announced the move on Twitter: “Yo Peeps! I wrote a children’s picture book with @OUPChildrens it comes out in July!!” CBeebies stardom must only be a step away.

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