Herbert for Mayor?

Here’s what we tweeted last week: “Can’t we just avoid all this new faff with electing a Mayor and just get Herbert to do it?”

The faff we’re talking about, of course, is the race for the first ever elected mayor of Liverpool. Joe Anderson’s in the running, ex-BBC Merseyside man Liam Fogarty’s throwing his hat in the ring, and hilariously (and we swear we didn’t know about this beforehand), Herbert’s actually putting his name forward. He’ll run as an independent candidate.

“I am not politically motivated at all but I have got over 50 years experience in business and Liverpool is the most important thing in my life” Herbert told the Echo.

He’s also promised that he wouldn’t take a salary for it, unlike the other candidates.

Regardless of what you think of him, Herbert Howe’s a city institution, and does more for charity and the community than most people seem to realise. Though he may preen and pamper the city’s tits ‘n’ teeth brigade, he continues to offer discounts and freebies for his OAP regulars and holds an annual charity bash for the city’s kids. He’s someone that genuinely seems to appeal to both old and young.

Whether that would make a good mayor or not remains to be seen - he insists he’s got no political inclinations, and hasn’t voted for 20 years. But for the sheer ridiculousness of it, and to see smug faces like Anderson and Bradley outvoted by a flamboyant hairdresser, would be all kinds of brilliant.

The mayoral elections kick off in May, pending a vote next week.