Four and a half years ago I first met Grant Tucker. He was introduced to me by Dawn Parry, who was then the Conservative candidate for Newport, in South Wales. It was at the Tory Party conference and he was very interested in how I knew Margaret Thatcher and what I thought of her. Bear in mind that Grant was born two years after she left power! Anyway, a year later I advertised for a job as my PA and Grant beat 50 other applicants to get it. To be honest he nearly didn’t. There was another candidate who I thought would also do a very good job and I just couldn’t decide between them. Normally I am very decisive when I employ people but on this occasion I was anything but. In the end I got two other people to interview the two of them and decided to take their advice. They advised me to take Grant on.
I assumed that Grant would probably be with me for a year, but it’s turned into three and a half years. I’m not the easiest person to work for (as I am sure Grant would agree) and we have our odd ups and downs, but I think we have enjoyed working with each other, even if Grant has a hands off relationship with English grammar. The job of a PA is to be your right hand (no jokes please…) and I am really grateful to Grant for all he has done in the three and half years. But it’s time he spread his wings and next week he starts a new job as Student Outreach Officer with the IEA. I really wish him well and hope it all works out for him.
Grant is the best networker I have ever met. Just by way of illustration, John Major came to a booklaunch at the Biteback offices last year. Grant immediately engaged him in conversation to the extent that as he was leaving, Sir John turned round and said, ‘Oh, I can’t go yet. I haven’t said goodbye to Grant’. He spotted Cilla Black walking down the street on day and decided to say hello, and he spent the next ten minutes chatting to her as she continued to walk. He’s befriended June Whitfield and takes her to the theatre. I could go on.
His work on the Book Club on my LBC show has been truly exemplary and he gets me top knotch guests – David Jason, Jennifer Saunders, Katie Price, Joan Collins and Tony Benn were the last six guests I had on at the end of last year. You don’t get many bigger names than that.
I hope Grant has learned a lot in the time he has been with me. We have become great friends and I am sure that friendship will be a lifetime one. He is someone who, if he applies himself, for whom the world will be his oyster. He’s either going to be the next Gyles Brandreth or will end up … [insert your own joke here]!
Good luck Grant, and thanks for everything.
