The Conservative candidate for London Mayor Zac Goldsmith once described the prospect of him contesting the election as "a suicide mission" because people "have had enough of white male Etonians".
The son of billionaire industrialist Sir James Goldsmith was announced as the Tory candidate on Friday morning and will take on Labour's Sadiq Khan in the battle to replace the out-going Boris Johnson next May.
It comes just two years after he declared: "It's simply not going to happen. I'm not going to stand as a candidate for Mayor of London." He was speaking at an event hosted by The Huffington Post UK at the Conservative party conference in Manchester. Explaining why he was ruling himself out of standing, Mr Goldsmith said: "The odds of my succeeding in the mayoral contest, I think people have had enough of white male Etonians, I'm not sure my chances would be very high."
Like his father Mr Goldsmith was expelled from Eton after cannabis was found in his room, although he later said it was someone else's weed. Mr Johnson and David Cameron also went to Eton, meaning that if he succeeds in winning next year's election, it will continue the recent trends of the highest electable offices in Britain going to old Etonians.
The MP for Richmond Park has been a vociferous opponent of a third runway at Heathrow, which is one of few positions he shares with his Labour rival. The contest will pit the son of a billionaire against a son of an immigrant bus driver - a contrast that is sure to be exploited by Mr Khan.
Mr Goldsmith, a strongly-principled MP and independent-minded environmental campaigner, has promised to step down as MP for Richmond Park if he is elected Mayor next summer, which would trigger a by-election.
