Britain's No1 aims for No10

13 April 2012

Now and again you hear about somebody whose life reads like a bad novel. Matthew Syed is one such. Three times national table tennis champion, twice Commonwealth champion, and now Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Wokingham - these are the bare bones of the 30-year-old's dazzling CV.

Then there is his first-class Oxford degree, which might be routine among aspiring politicians but rare if you left school before A Levels, as Syed did.

Everybody in table tennis raves about him, and confidently forecasts that the two-time Olympian will one day live at No 10. All he lacks is a suitably high-achieving wife before - to paraphrase the Tremeloes - Syed is golden, golden.

The man himself hoots with laughter whenever his Midas image is mentioned. Certainly his short-term prospects for elevation to power are somewhat hopeless, since the current Member for Wokingham is John Redwood with a majority of 9,365 over the Liberal Democrats, with Labour a distant third. Syed is keener than most for the Prime Minister to confirm the election date.

"If it is 3 May, it will mean I can't play the world championships in Japan or defend my Commonwealth title,'' he explained. "But no one in the Labour Party will tell me.''

All this for a constituency he will not win. Not to worry. John Major did not set foot in the Commons until he was 36, so there is time yet. Indeed, if Syed's friends are to be believed Downing Street is inevitable.

"Matt is articulate about any subject under the sun,'' glowed Brian Halliday, vice-chairman of the English Table Tennis Association, who has known Syed for 20 years. "He is incredibly charismatic. He has the ear of Kate Hoey and is very friendly with Tony Blair. First name terms. Oh yes. He will be Prime Minister one day.''

What is it like to hear that about yourself? "A lot of people...'' began Syed before tailing off, as if he had thought better of saying "have said that''. Instead he said: ''I cringe because it's very arrogant for somebody to aspire to that personally.'' So Blair was arrogant to aspire to it? Syed shook his head: "He probably didn't aspire to it at my age.''

What a sweet idea. So is Syed on first-name terms with the PM?

"I've only met him twice. But he knows my name. I met him at the Labour Conference after the Olympics and he described my match in detail. He knows a lot about table tennis - he played it at Oxford too," said Syed.

"He was very personable. We had a long and very interesting chat and then he said, 'Er, but what are you doing here?' He showed a real interest and I thought he had great charisma. I know I'm expected to say nice things about him. But I really think he's a terrific Prime Minister.''

The fact Syed has time to prepare any election campaign at all is remarkable, given that he is out of the country for nine days in

10. He plays the lucrative Packeresque league in Japan called the Kenshoen, and in France for league side Caen, along with regular appearances on the international circuit, with exhibition matches on top. His attic flat in Richmond is unmistakably that of a single bloke.

He always loved politics, although school friends in true-blue Wokingham - where he grew up and his parents still live - thought his left-wing leanings utterly bizarre. He thought himself "useless" at school and left to commit himself to table tennis.

At his father's urging he agreed to read a single textbook while he was away. It happened to be economics, which riveted him instantly. Having read that one book he sat an A Level and got an A. Then Oxford gave him an interview on the basis of his table tennis, and agreed that with two more A Levels he would be in. Two more textbooks did the trick. Even with all his under-graduate time taken up with table tennis, he still got a first. Unbelievable.

"I was just lucky,'' he protested. "I had a great tutor called Andrew Graham who was economic adviser to Harold Wilson and John Smith.''

These are the sort of acquaintances regular people don't have. Syed's life is full of this stuff, more so than can be listed here. Get him on to politics, though, and he sounds both reassuringly human and a little innocent. He clearly believes politics really can be a force for good.

"I want society to be fairer. I hate the idea of somebody going through life feeling society is loaded in favour of people who are more privileged. I want everyone to have a great life.''

He agrees that £758 million would have been better spent on improving lives than on the Dome. He did not visit it, and does not know anyone who did.

If the Wokingham seat were to be decided on personality alone, Syed would be the runaway winner. He is great company, and is every bit the sparkling advertisement for both table tennis and politics as his mates would have you believe.

He will not become an MP at the next election. But it must only be a matter of time. As for becoming Prime Minister, so many factors play a part there is no saying. But it might be worth staking a tenner at Ladbrokes, just the same.

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Britain's No1 aims for No10

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