I rather suspect that Lord Sugar will not be an effective minister. Successful business people work in a more-or-less closed system. Certain products or services are provided and both customers and owners/shareholders have to be satisfied. That alone is difficult but political judgement is probably ten times more perilous, because not only do the immediate stakeholders have to be satisfied but also the general public and interest groups. In other words some people who may want to have a say in decisions cannot be fired.
There have been instances of politicians who have been successful in both arenas - Michael Heseltine and Chris Huhne, for example - but both men carried their business careers in parallel with their political careers. I can't think of examples of successful business people who have made the transition late in life to politics and made a lasting difference.
We shall see, but from what I have seen of Lord Sugar I doubt that he will have the flexibility to manage in politics.
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