Two new names for Guido’s runners and riders list for Tory mayoral candidate:

• Richard Tice: The businessman who co-founded Leave.EU is an accomplished media performer – readers will remember his punchy Question Time appearance. Would be bold to choose a Brexiter in London, though.
• Rohan Silva: Former blue sky digital tech guru to Cameron and Osborne, Silva went on to found the Second Home workspace in Spitalfields. His name has been doing the rounds, he’s a Remainer but would be good for the youth vote and a more interesting candidate than some of those below. 

Two names out of the running:

• George Osborne: Told a Tory activist last week he is not interested in running for mayor.
• Ed Vaizey: Has ruled himself out and endorsed Justine Greening.

Justine remains the favourite:

• Justine Greening: Another big Remainer, she has been the front-runner among pundits so far. One of the few women in the running. Though hardly an inspiring choice, and would the Tories be able to defend her 1,500 majority if there was a by-election in Putney?
• Shaun Bailey: London Assembly Member who is one of the few candidates with a backstory to rival Khan’s. Has been effective in his criticism of the mayor over knife crime. 
• Syed Kamall: Time for a Brexiter mayor of London? Came second to Zac in the Tory nomination stakes last time round. Popular with true believers.
• Kulveer Ranger: Another former Boris adviser who was very effective in City Hall. Tipped in the Sunday Times after Guido’s post last week.
• Duwayne Brooks: Friend of Stephen Lawrence who was with him when he was murdered. Joined the Tories a couple of weeks ago and is being talked up by insiders. Has branded Sadiq “the worst mayor ever”. One to watch.
• Munira Mirza: Former deputy mayor to Boris, she wrote compellingly for the Speccie a couple of months back about how stop and search is the best weapon in the fight against knife crime. The Tories have a real shortage of strong female candidates – indeed Mirza might be the only one.
• Gavin Barwell: Was sniffing around last year when he thought things were falling apart in Number 10. Would someone who couldn’t hold Croydon be able to win London? There are local whispers that Barwell now has his eye on Bob Stewart’s 15,000 majority Beckenham seat instead…
• James Cleverly: Would be a good candidate. But he is rising quickly through the ranks at Westminster and it is hard to see why he’d give that up for what is going to be a very difficult contest for the Tories.
• Nick de Bois: Former Enfield MP. CCHQ took his advice on bringing the selection forwards. Has outlined how he would beat Sadiq here.
• Andrew Boff: Perennial candidate.

The Tories need someone with a bit of x-factor if they are going to make things interesting against Sadiq…

Tonight’s launch party for Steve Hilton’s new book “More Human“ brought out an A-list crowd of high Tories and hipsters. Held in Rohan Silva’s SecondHome tech hub in East London it was more a Cameroon re-union party than a book launch. In the wigwam Hilton, dressed appropriately in guru colours of yellow and orange, held court to a crowd including David Cameron and George Osborne as well as Cabinet ministers from past and present. Jeremy Hunt mingled with the likes of Lord Heseltine and Lord Howard among internet hipsters whilst entertained by a Hungarian folk band – much to the amusement of Steve Hilton’s mum. This was the authentic über-modernisers wigwam in which Rohan invited the assembled great and the good to wander barefoot…

Hilton’s speech was one of thanks and a lighthearted powerpoint remembering his time on Team Cameron. He spoke of the stream of emails he received in California before the election complaining about the negativity of the Tory campaign, all imploring him to come and bring some sunshine into the Tory message, “I said, look Dave, you hired Lynton Crosby…”.  The PM laughed…

https://twitter.com/SebastianEPayne/status/600735366556057601/photo/1

The Hungarian band played on – with the crowd joining in to sing “Happy Birthday” to Oliver Letwin. Heseltine flirted with twentysomethings, Samantha Cameron beamed at Gabby Bertin. All is well now Miliband’s red terror has been defeated. Apart from Steve Hilton wanting to overthrow global capitalism…

Watch also: Steve Hilton’s Trippy Newsnight Segment 

With Joanna Shields stepping down as chair of TechCity, the door is open for fresh blood at Digital Dave’s tech quango. As promised, here are Techno’s runners and riders.

Ben Southworth

King of the Shoreditch tech hipsters, Ben Southworth is still smarting about his “resignation” as deputy CEO from Tech City UK in 2013. No one is more determined to prove that they are still a force to be reckoned with in East London tech.

Milo Yiannopoulos

A long time critic of the Tech City operation, who could be better to breath some fire into the flagging quango than the flamboyant pit bull of tech media who has branded Tech City a “cheap PR exercise“.

Rohan Silva

Rumour has it that Rohan Silva, founder of groovy SecondHome and the original brains behind the Tech City project is eager to get the government quango back on track. He would certainly be welcomed back into the government fold with open arms. Pretty sure he would not want the job.

James Cook

Young tech journalist superstar James Cook is highly regarded in the European tech scene, though he does have a reputation for leaving hapless young CEOs in tears. Mr Cook has confirmed to Techno that he will be putting himself forward for the job if his mum lets him.

Eileen Burbidge

What better way for superstar VC Eileen Burbidge to officially crown herself as queen of London tech, than by accepting the Tech City chair. Techno will be amazed if she isn’t the number one on the government’s hit list.