Sir Alan - you're hired (nearly)

It is hardly surprising that Sir Alan has been appointed Enterprise Tzar to Gordon Brown - albeit "unofficially" at the time of writing.

Come next week the Amstrad boss will have some spare time on his hands. His hit television show, the Apprentice, will be finished and he can leave his multi-million pound business in the capable hands of the series winners and his mini Sir Alans/Alanettes – assuming Kate wins that is.

Jokes aside, Sir Alan, a long-standing Labour supporter and a close friend of the Prime Minister is well placed to advise the government on how to weather the recession. He already advises Downing Street on issues affecting enterprise and the economy, and is expected to push Britain's "green" and digital technology.

While many businesses are falling victim to the financial crisis, Sir Alan’s seem to be going strong. His IT company, Viglen, recently landed a contract worth £30 million to supply equipment to government bodies. He already advises Downing Street on issues affecting enterprise and the economy.