MEP Simon Busuttil tells The Sunday Times in an interview today his appointment as special delegate to the Prime Minister was no pre-election gimmick.

“I wouldn’t blame people for thinking it may be a bit late. But I can assure everyone it’s not a gimmick and I will give all I can to make sure it’s a success,” the 42-year-old MEP says.

Dr Busuttil was speaking days after the Prime Minister delegated him to listen to people’s concerns.

He admits the government has failed to communicate with people and singles out the controversy surrounding ministerial pay rises last year as a prime example.

However, the MEP seeks to dampen the perception that his appointment is the start of a PN leader succession campaign and is reluctant to state his leadership ambitions.

“Let’s put it this way... I never said I had an ambition to be Prime Minister at 42,” he says, in a jab at Labour Party leader Joseph Muscat who had said he was looking forward to being PM at 39.

“In politics you have to do the job you have today and not think about the job you might have tomorrow. If it has to come, I’ll cross the bridge when I get to it,” Dr Busuttil says.

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