Boris Johnson

[FilboFox]

To be honest, when they were talking on the news about the things that Boris now has to run, it actually worried me somewhat!

He's in charge of an £11 billion budget, is in charge of all the transport sectors and police in London and also the Olympics... and to me, he looks like someone who just ran for mayor for the sake of running and doesn't give a toss what happens...

Thank God I live in Leicester!

[James.]

His buffoon image is quite clearly a personna, but a personna that allows him to be much more human and honest than many MP's without taking flak for it.

Behind that he's a very, very intelligent man. There really is nothing to worry about.

Intelligence does not make someone a good mayor.

My girlfriend has sat in on debates involving Boris Johnson on topics such as youth crime in London and he came across as out of touch, ignorant to the needs of young people and disinterested. She was left very unimpressed.

Intelligence means f**k all in his position. It's more about having a connection with your citizens and a deep understanding and awareness of the key issues they face. Johnson doesn't strike me as that sort of man. Maybe in the middle class suburbs but not amongst the inner city estates where most of the work is required.

This "buffoon" image is overplayed in its importance, I'll agree with you there, but as a citizen of London I'm far from convinced that there's "nothing to worry about".

[FleckneyFox]

I dont know or care about his politics, hes hilarious and that is why he is the right choice. Did anyone see him in that celebrity footie match if you havent look for it on youtube its laugh out loud stuff.

[sdb]

I dont know or care about his politics, hes hilarious and that is why he is the right choice. Did anyone see him in that celebrity footie match if you havent look for it on youtube its laugh out loud stuff.

it's laugh out loud stuff because it's a prime example of what a complete plonker he is

[Master Fox]

What an absolute joke. I can't believe this moron won. What were people thinking of when voting for this idiot.

He'll ruin London with his right wing bullsh*t.

[Master Fox]

I dont know or care about his politics, hes hilarious and that is why he is the right choice. Did anyone see him in that celebrity footie match if you havent look for it on youtube its laugh out loud stuff.

You fool. This is why this country fails, becuase of people with simple minded views like this.

People like you, YOU!

Brois L O L! look at his 'funny hair Johnson. Fcuk off!

[Master Fox]

I used to think you were alright Phube.

[Mort]

He'll ruin London with his right wing bullsh*t.

So because he's rightwing he's clearly going to be a disaster?

...why the **** do so many folks who are leftwing have to be so damn patronising and self righteous!?

[Daggers]

...why the **** do so many folks who are leftwing have to be so damn patronising and self righteous!?

In order to balance the condescension and pomposity of the Right?

[Master Fox]

So because he's rightwing he's clearly going to be a disaster?

...why the **** do so many folks who are leftwing have to be so damn patronising and self righteous!?

I'm not patronising anyone, but cannot you not see what a total arse Brois is? He even managed to offend the whole city of Liverpool, which everyone thought was L O L!

The man is a total cretin. The whole Torie party is a walking disaster, and this just add to their simpering pudge-faced smuggery.

I'm not forcing any political stance here, but how can the public put this man in charge of the country's capital city?

It's the attiude people take, that becuase of his idiocy and stupid hair, it somehow makes him 'really funny' coz he says silly stuff on telly! Which is highlighted by some of the comments from people in this very thread.

[Phube]

I used to think you were alright Phube.

You do know I'm Tory through and through!!

And as I don't live in London I really don't care even if he cocks it up!! But surely anyone is better that Ken!?

[Master Fox]

You do know I'm Tory through and through!!

And as I don't live in London I really don't care even if he cocks it up!! But surely anyone is better that Ken!?

The fact you've got him as your signature clearly shows you do care.

Just becuase you don't live in London, don't think it doesn't affect you. When Boris totally fcuks the whole thing up and offends everyone with his retarded views and blows his £11billion budget on hookers, posh over priced food, and makes smug moron tories richer with tax payers money, you'll see then.

[Shrenchel]

What a bunch of mugs Londoners are. Just set their city back about 20 years. The geezer is is a racist, a homophibic and a bigot. Ooooooooh bt hes got floppy hair n put in a hard takle on sum German in a futball match LOOOOLZ m8

Boris Johnson in his own words

The wannabe mayor on race, sex and politics

On homosexuality

"Gay marriage can only ever be a ludicrous parody of the real thing."

· Daily Telegraph, 2005

"If gay marriage was OK - and I was uncertain on the issue - then I saw no reason in principle why a union should not be consecrated between three men, as well as two men; or indeed three men and a dog."

· From his book, Friends, Voters, Countrymen, 2001

"We don't want our children being taught some rubbish about homosexual marriage being the same as normal marriage, and that is why I am more than happy to support Section 28."

· Daily Telegraph, 2000

"The clerics gave us [journalists] a wigging for being so mean to the Church of England ... Why did we draw attention to tricky subjects like homosexuality, aka the Pulpit Poofs issue?"

· The Spectator, 2000

"I'm not bisexual so far ... not that I would condemn myself if I later discovered I were."

· Daily Telegraph, 2008

On Africa

"No doubt the AK47s will fall silent, the pangas will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down in his big white British taxpayer-funded bird."

· In 2002, on Tony Blair's visit to the Democratic of Republic of Congo, Daily Telegraph

"Right, let's go and look at some more piccaninnies."

· Reported remark, while visiting Uganda, to Swedish Unicef workers and their black driver, the Observer, 2003

On the Commonwealth

"It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies."

· Daily Telegraph, 2002

On failing to recognise his Filipina housekeeper

"When our housekeeper appeared on stage in her hot pink strapless number [as a finalist of the Mrs Philippines 2005 contest in London], I failed at first to recognise her, surrounded as she was by 10 other Filipina mums, each shimmering in every shade from fuchsia to Germolene ... Was that Luz, the No 6, the one with the cleavage? Or was she No 5, with the smile? Surely she wasn't No 11, the one with the legs. No: wait - that was her, with her hair up. No 8! 'We want eight,' we screamed, and waved at good old Luz, a woman who has been exposed to the full horror of the Johnson family washing and yet contrived to look little short of $1m.

· The Spectator, 2005

On his prospects

"My chances of being PM are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being reincarnated as an olive."

· The Independent, 2004

George Bush and Iraq

"He liberated Iraq. It is good enough for me."

· Daily Telegraph, 2004

"The Americans were perfectly happy to go ahead and whack Saddam merely on the grounds that he was a bad guy, and that Iraq and the world would be better off without him; and so indeed was I."

· Daily Telegraph, 2003

On Islam

"The most viciously sectarian of all religions in its heartlessness towards unbelievers."

· The Spectator, 2005

On race

"I'm down with the ethnics. You can't out-ethnic me, Nihal ... My children are a quarter Indian, so put that in your pipe and smoke it."

· To Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Asian Network, 2008

On cannabis

"It was jolly nice. But apparently it is very different these days. Much stronger. I've become very illiberal about it. I don't want my kids to take drugs."

· GQ, 2007

On sex

"I've slept with far fewer than 1,000."

· On whether he has slept with fewer than 30 women, like Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, Daily Telegraph, 2008

"An inverted pyramid of piffle."

· The Mail on Sunday, 2004, on allegations that he had an affair with Petronella Wyatt, later confirmed.

On obesity

"Nothing but their own fat fault."

On transport

"I don't believe [using a mobile phone at the wheel] is necessarily any more dangerous than the many other risky things that people do with their free hands while driving - nose-picking, reading the paper, studying the A-Z, beating the children, and so on."

· Daily Telegraph, 2002

"The whole county of Hampshire was lying back and opening her well-bred legs to be ravished by the Italian stallion."

· GQ, while in a Ferrari

On Liverpool

"A society that has become hooked on grief and likes to wallow in a sense of

vicarious victimhood."

· A Spectator editorial, 2004 (Johnson didn't write the editorial, but he approved it)

On his arts role

"Look, the point is ... er, what is the point? It is a tough job but somebody has got to do it."

· On being appointed Tory Arts spokesman, 2004

On stag hunting

"I remember the guts streaming, and the stag turds spilling out on to the grass from within the ventral cavity ... This hunting is best for the deer."

· From his book Lend Me Your Ears

[Master Fox]

Makes me fcuking sick.

[Phube]

The fact you've got him as your signature clearly shows you do care.

Just becuase you don't live in London, don't think it doesn't affect you. When Boris totally fcuks the whole thing up and offends everyone with his retarded views and blows his £11billion budget on hookers, posh over priced food, and makes smug moron tories richer with tax payers money, you'll see then.

Because I like Boris as a personality...

London can go to Hell for all I care!

Also I hate 'Red' Ken the Korrupt with almost as much passion as Arsénal!

[Mort]

In order to balance the condescension and pomposity of the Right?

But its about extremes then isnt it?... your right you get idiots on both ends of the political spectrum, but why do people have to act as though any one with a different view to them must be either an idiot or just want whats worst for others... its just daft and turns people right off politics, i doubt either Ken or Boris is an idiot and i doubt (however much i might dissagree with Ken) that either wants whats worst for others.

[sdb]

Master Fox - you've saved me a lot of typing, ta!!

[Mort]

I'm not patronising anyone, but cannot you not see what a total arse Brois is? He even managed to offend the whole city of Liverpool, which everyone thought was L O L!

The man is a total cretin. The whole Torie party is a walking disaster, and this just add to their simpering pudge-faced smuggery.

I'm not forcing any political stance here, but how can the public put this man in charge of the country's capital city?

It's the attiude people take, that becuase of his idiocy and stupid hair, it somehow makes him 'really funny' coz he says silly stuff on telly! Which is highlighted by some of the comments from people in this very thread.

I thinks its pretty clear you are trying to ‘force your political stance here’.

You argument seems to be that, because Boris and Conservatives are people you disagree with they are idiots and that by virtue of that fact there is no credible reason for anyone to vote for them… to paraphrase, ‘only your opinion is worth considering’.

…if that isn’t patronising I don’t know what is.

I was in London for the end of the campaign so I can probably provide you with a few explanations for the result…

Ken Livingstone ran an administration that had really run its course, he’d been in power for over eight years and he had stagnated and reverted to some pretty nasty habits.

His time as Mayor was very much concerned only with ‘his’ London, namely inner-London or more accurately the Labour/Ken voting bit of the it… on a range of issues, taxation, transport, crime etc… the concerns and needs of the outer London boroughs were almost totally disregarded.

Beyond what was purely policy Ken was also failing as Mayor… the corruption and misappropriation of massive amounts of money by him and his advisors, his championing and cosying-up to any extremist who might further his own political ends (Qaradawi, Chavez, Castro etc…) his total contempt for his office and the position of members of the GLA and the leaders of the London Boroughs (and this applies to politicians from all parties!) and finally his total unwillingness to take critical issues like the skyrocketing youth crime in London (‘if it bleeds it leads’)… all show why he was turfed out of office on Thursday.

When crime is shooting up, transport is falling apart, taxes are going through the roof and the politicians in power are waist deep in scandals and corruption I think its plain arrogance to suggest voters are stupid to elect an alternative... London boroughs like Hammersmith, Wandsworth, Bromley, Ealing and Camden have all benefited from Conservative administrations, is it really surprising that the city as a whole went the same way, given the chance?

[Shrenchel]

You argument seems to be that, because Boris and Conservatives are people you disagree with they are idiots and that by virtue of that fact there is no credible reason for anyone to vote for them… to paraphrase, ‘only your opinion is worth considering’.

Despite the fact I'd rather shit on my grandma than vote conservative I see the reason behind neo-liberal economic policies etc and so see why people would vote for them. I don't think it makes anyone an idiot. Some of the brightest political minds I know are conservatives. However, with Boris it's a completely different matter. The geezer is fooking **** in so many different ways, ranging from his racist views to his political ineptitude. The shrewd conservatives I know recognise this and although they're happy they've got their man as mayor they're very aprehensive he's gunna fook the whole thing up and ruin their chances at the election.

[Daggers]

i doubt either Ken or Boris is an idiot

I spoke with Boris down in Devon about the Lecturers strike a year ago, he was eloquent and knowledgeable about educational matters...but he has proven himself to be an idiot when it comes to controlling his mouth or his penis.

I happen to like people that are honest, even if I don't agree with them - which is the case with Boris, but he would never have been allowed anywhere near the post if he hadn't been in the same secret club as Call Me Dave.

Ken has proven himself to be very adept as a politician and as a Mayor - certainly no mug.

[Mort]

Despite the fact I'd rather shit on my grandma than vote conservative I see the reason behind neo-liberal economic policies etc and so see why people would vote for them. I don't think it makes anyone an idiot. Some of the brightest political minds I know are conservatives.

To be fair you didnt give that impression... but sorry if i miss read what you where trying to say (its not as though internet forums do 'nuance'.

However, with Boris it's a completely different matter. The geezer is fooking **** in so many different ways, ranging from his racist views to his political ineptitude.

I think that saying he's racist is a bit like saying Ken's racist, or homophobic or an anti-semite... plenty of quotes could be used to suggest that if you really wanted to... then again if an interpretation reinforces your predjudices most people are more likley to want to belive it.

The shrewd conservatives I know recognise this and although they're happy they've got their man as mayor they're very aprehensive he's gunna fook the whole thing up and ruin their chances at the election.

I'd agree with that... but its not becasue he's an 'idiot' or 'incompetant' its more because no one has a clue what he'd be like in an executive position, but the same could be said of any politican (and was, in fact, said a great deal of Ken in 2000).

[Mort]

...but he has proven himself to be an idiot when it comes to controlling his mouth or his penis.

The former is a worry for anyone (should probably point out that I'm not a massive Boris fan - just dont see the point in slaging a guy off based on a comic persona) not simply because it creates bad press (that in of itself doesnt affect how competant or effective a person is) but because the impact of that bad press could undermine any office holder... having said that there are plenty of politicans who are more effective because of their "gaffes" , "outbursts" or what ever you want to call them.

The later is simply of no importance... unless somone is getting harmed (and I'm not talking about emotional disstress), Ken had five kids by three women none of whom were his wife and is an alcoholic (as evident by him sipping whisky as 10am meetings of the GLA)... none of this, in of itself, makes somone unfit to hold high office (Churchill was a depressive with a drinking problem and J.F.K and Roosevelt both shagged themselves senseless for most of their lives... in none of those cases did it stop them being effective politicans - not that it might harm the ability of others).

I happen to like people that are honest, even if I don't agree with them - which is the case with Boris, but he would never have been allowed anywhere near the post if he hadn't been in the same secret club as Call Me Dave.

What 'secret club'... Boris went to a posh school (on a scholarship i might add - meaning his family couldnt really afford it) as did Cameron (again big wow, Blair went to a similarly posh school) whats the issue? Just because somone is from a posh background doesnt make their contribution any the less worthwhile nor does it imbue them with any special authority... frankly i'm not sure what it has to do with anything. Sure some people are going to have advantages in life that are flukes, but that's the case anyway some people are clever, some people are funnier, some people are more attrative, some people are lucky SOBs... but in the end we're all capable of fulfilling our potential no matter where we come from.

Ken has proven himself to be very adept as a politician and as a Mayor - certainly no mug.

First term was quite a sucess I'll grant you, but since then i totally dissagree... he's clever of course (he's a very effective politican - then again so is Keith Vaz), but he's done nothing in the last four years to tackle problems with crime or transport in London while seeing sucessive tax rises and some seriously unethical practices by him and his advisors at City Hall... so while i dont have any personal gripe with the guy, he's done much in the last four years to recomend a vote against himself this year and thats what has happened.

[Phube]

Ken has proven himself to be very adept as a politician and as a Mayor - certainly no mug.

I wouldn't say this was a compliment!

It's like saying he's a good salesman!

[Tommy G]

Thats funny. He is accidently a funny bloke. But I'm not sure how we've managed to get this Lunatic in charge of our capital city?

[Ultra]

Thats funny. He is accidently a funny bloke. But I'm not sure how we've managed to get this Lunatic in charge of our capital city?

Because the public school mafia still wields influence in this country.

This guy is a gangster and a racist, who but for his background would have been driven from mainstream politics years ago.

Some people may have found him vaguely humorous, in an Ian Holloway-type way. And as with Holloway, it's purely a charade to mask his total ineptitude.

I predict here and now he will not serve his full term of office. He'll put his foot in his mouth once too often and cause a furore which will force him out.