These are desperate times. We’re living through an extraordinary crisis. And, as the saying goes, ‘desperate times call for desperate measures.’

What I propose is simply to draft in Lord Alan Sugar NOW, to do for our country and for our NHS what he does best.

Normally, the way the government buys in what it needs, and the way it manages the economy work well enough. But not well enough for times like these!

The government’s a bit like a supertanker. Huge, powerful, good at carrying massive loads over great distances. But BAD at ‘nipping about’.

To change course, to slow down or to speed up, it needs to plan a looong way in advance.

What we need now is a nippy little speed boat.

Fast and nimble.

Good at changing course and getting straight to where it needs to be.

Now is a time to act quickly and decisively.

A time to meet these new challenges with new, creative solutions.

This crisis is often compared in the media to the Second World War.

It’s termed ‘a war against an invisible enemy’.

Let’s not fight this war with our hands tied behind our backs.

During WW2, on his very first day in office and in Britain’s darkest hour, Churchill created a new department and put Lord Beaverbrook in charge of it. The new PM knew that an air war was coming, and he knew that Britain wasn’t prepared for it. He set up the Ministry of Aircraft Production so he could get ahead in the fight.

Beaverbrook had never held public office, but he was highly successful and capable. He had a razor sharp business brain and Churchill just KNEW he was the man for the job.

NHS frontline workers are being asked to risk their lives for us all, Every Single Day. They do this with immense bravery and endless goodwill, but they desperately need more PPE.

They need it NOW.

Many lives depend on it.

Our economy is crashing.

This means real people losing real jobs and suffering real hardship.

The treasury has come up with many measures to help in the crisis, but they’re not all working as well as they could.

The furlough scheme asks employers to pay out wages before reclaiming them, but many businesses just don’t have the cash to do this.

This could be an easy fix to save more jobs.

CBILS, or the catchily worded ‘Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme’ works in theory.

In reality, banks are getting in the way of businesses trying to access this cash lifeline.

The banks are completely in charge of deciding who can and can’t get these vital loans.

Even after the treasury waded in to help, figures I’ve seen suggest that this only improved numbers processed in the first few weeks from 0.7% to a not so whopping 4% :(

Surely few could argue that Lord Alan Sugar is the best man to sort this out?

Typical bureaucratic processes do the job in ‘normal times’ but we are in very far from ‘normal times.’

It’s time to grab a big Lord-Sugar-shaped-pair-of-scissors, and cut through the red tape!

In a national, high-stakes game of ‘The Apprentice’, my money’s on ‘Team Lord Alan Sugar’ to deliver PPE and ventilators to the frontline, bought at the very keenest prices, and to get treasury cash to where it’s needed.

Meanwhile, ‘Team Faceless Government Department’ is still powering up the laptop to find the right form...

I’m not criticising anyone here, but putting forward a solution.

I believe that our politicians are doing their best in unbelievably difficult times, but having served my country in the military for nearly 20 years, I know how ‘clunky’ and unwieldy the big-beast of a system is.

What we need now is the help of the UK’s best business brains.

Namely, Lord Alan Sugar.

Connected, effective, an ace negotiator, nimble, agile, shrewd.

Pay him whatever is needed.

He’ll pay us back by saving money and saving lives in abundance, and by getting the job done.

Enlisting his help would not be a failure on the part of government, but a brave leap of faith and a very clever use of human capital.

Please Boris/Dominic/Rishi/Matt/Michael and all those in cabinet, call Lord Alan Sugar and let’s him know that Our Country Needs Him.

We need him to help get the job done quickly, efficiently and effectively.

Please join me, sign below, share this petition until we hear the words; “Lord Sugar, You’re Hired.”