One bad idea that needs to be put to bed

As a former MP and Conservative cabinet minister, you would think Rory Stewart wouldn’t be hard-pressed to find a bed for the night – but the London mayoral candidate this week made a bizarre request to stay in strangers’ homes.

Promising to bring along a sleeping bag and a box of chocolates, the politician said he wants to get to know the city’s electorate by “being in other people’s shoes, seeing through their eyes and staying in their houses” as part of his #Comekipwithme campaign. Give me a break.

I’m sure there’s merit to the plan if he genuinely wants to get to know the people who live in the 32 boroughs he would represent, but does he really need to stay the night?

It does just seem like a publicity stunt. With any election, politicians have got to offer something different to their rivals.

Plus, who on earth would want to wake up in the morning with a stranger (let alone a politician) in their house? Certainly not me. I know what I look like in the morning and I would rather keep that to myself, thank you very much.