The latest odds from Ladbrokes have Zac Goldsmith favourite to be the Tory candidate for Mayor:

Conservative Mayoral Candidate

Evens Zac Goldsmith

5/1 Nick de Bois

8/1 Syed Kamall

10/1 Lord Coe

10/1 Karren Brady

10/1 Stephen Greenhalgh

10/1 Michael Bloomberg

16/1 Ivan Massow

20/1 Andrew Boff

25/1 Sol Campbell

“The rollie-smoking multi-millionaire greeny has a growing following, increasing his majority in Richmond, South West London, from 4,091 to a stonking 23,015 at the election. Green Party peer Baroness Jones is also keen on the idea, saying many Greens “very much like that he comes across as very green and committed and passionate”. Zac has promised to resign his seat and force a by-election if the Government approves expansion of Heathrow Airport this summer, potentially giving him the perfect platform to launch a bid for City Hall. A friend says: “He’ll only do it if he thinks it’s genuinely what his constituents want.”

The race is beginning to rumble behind the scenes…