Boris!

[Alf Bentley]

On what grounds has Boris been a great London Mayor, in the view of his fans?

 

That's a genuine question, as I don't live in London so don't pay it that much attention.

 

It was under Ken Livingstone that London won the Olympic bid, that Oyster cards were introduced and that the "Boris Bikes" scheme was designed (though how much credit Ken can claim for some of those is questionable).

 

So, what have Boris' great successes been over the past 6 years, beyond expanding/implementing Ken's schemes, redeploying London Underground ticket office staff and being an absolute genius at self-promotion?

 

The bloke certainly isn't a buffoon, but he seems like a ruthlessly cunning, if entertaining and charismatic careerist with an eye for the main chance. Now he'll be following Call Me Dave around, dagger at the ready, waiting to lead the Tories even further into right-wing populism if Dave cocks up another general election.

 

I know that one cliche says "it's better to have certain people inside the tent, pissing out, than outside pissing in", but another says "with friends like that, who needs enemies?"....not Dave, anyway! 

[Rincewind]

His attitude towards the average bloke frightens me nearly as much as IDS does. Out of touch and dangerous.

Why would a clever man want to be portrayed as a buffoon?

[z-layrex]

Its very mixed. Some of his ideas are absurd like closing all ticket offices on the underground and making buses cashless, not exactly tourist friendly.

Think Mayor of London shouldn't be allowed to double job as an MP, its an important enough job in itself.

The buses have been so much better, no more twats faffing with change holding everyone up. The tourists are fine.

[Webbo]

On what grounds has Boris been a great London Mayor, in the view of his fans?

 

That's a genuine question, as I don't live in London so don't pay it that much attention.

 

It was under Ken Livingstone that London won the Olympic bid, that Oyster cards were introduced and that the "Boris Bikes" scheme was designed (though how much credit Ken can claim for some of those is questionable).

 

So, what have Boris' great successes been over the past 6 years, beyond expanding/implementing Ken's schemes, redeploying London Underground ticket office staff and being an absolute genius at self-promotion?

 

The bloke certainly isn't a buffoon, but he seems like a ruthlessly cunning, if entertaining and charismatic careerist with an eye for the main chance. Now he'll be following Call Me Dave around, dagger at the ready, waiting to lead the Tories even further into right-wing populism if Dave cocks up another general election.

 

I know that one cliche says "it's better to have certain people inside the tent, pissing out, than outside pissing in", but another says "with friends like that, who needs enemies?"....not Dave, anyway! 

So all his successes are down to Ken Livingstone? Would I be right in thinking that all the things that haven't succeeded are entirely down to Boris?

[Alf Bentley]

On what grounds has Boris been a great London Mayor, in the view of his fans?

 

That's a genuine question, as I don't live in London so don't pay it that much attention.

 

[...]

 

So all his successes are down to Ken Livingstone? Would I be right in thinking that all the things that haven't succeeded are entirely down to Boris?

 

I asked a genuine question. From your reply, I can only assume that you have no answers.

 

I named 3 things (Olympic bid, Oyster cards & "Boris bikes") that were achieved/launched under Livingstone - that's a matter of fact. If good ideas have been expanded/implemented well under Boris, then that's to his credit, surely?

 

But several people have claimed that Boris has been a great London Mayor. So, I'd be interested to hear about his major achievements. I suspect it comes down to clever, amusing self-promotion, but am willing to have my eyes opened. My mind isn't as closed as yours, Webbo ("Two legs good, four legs bad! Private good, public bad!").

 

Unavailable for 3 days now, so forgive the radio silence. 

[Webbo]

I asked a genuine question. From your reply, I can only assume that you have no answers.

 

I named 3 things (Olympic bid, Oyster cards & "Boris bikes") that were achieved/launched under Livingstone - that's a matter of fact. If good ideas have been expanded/implemented well under Boris, then that's to his credit, surely?

 

But several people have claimed that Boris has been a great London Mayor. So, I'd be interested to hear about his major achievements. I suspect it comes down to clever, amusing self-promotion, but am willing to have my eyes opened. My mind isn't as closed as yours, Webbo ("Two legs good, four legs bad! Private good, public bad!").

 

Unavailable for 3 days now, so forgive the radio silence. 

I have no idea what kind of mayor he is, I don't live in London and I don't follow London politics. I honestly don't have any feelings 1 way or the other towards Boris other than he's a Tory so I hope he wins.

[Rincewind]

I hope the best man for the job wins. The one that considers all his electorate equally. If Boris is capable of doing that then fair dos to him. But he is a Tory.

[Alf Bentley]

I have no idea what kind of mayor he is, I don't live in London and I don't follow London politics. I honestly don't have any feelings 1 way or the other towards Boris other than he's a Tory so I hope he wins.

 

That's two of us with little idea of what he's actually done as mayor, then....and no London correspondents have piped up to explain.

 

The stuff quoted on his Wikipedia page is pretty minor: banning booze on the tube, extending it to 24 hours at weekends, expanding/implementing Red Ken initiatives. Presumably, he deserves at least some credit for the Olympics proceeding smoothly; even if the IOC and others handled most of that, at least he didn't intervene in such a way as to cock it up; presumably he has sweet-talked a few City investors into coughing up cash?

 

I'm genuinely curious, not least as there's a distinct chance that Boris might be PM within 6 years (much sooner if next year's election is close and/or a Scottish referendum "Yes" vote means that there's another election in a couple of years time....and short odds that he'll be leader of the opposition within a year if Labour win most seats in 2015. His apparent lack of major policy initiatives as Mayor seems to support my theory that he (and others, like Blair; this isn't a party political point) are mainly popular for superficial reasons of personal charisma, entertainment value etc.

 

A poll was quoted in the "i" today, saying that if Boris was leader, the Tories would be within an ace of winning an absolute majority, whereas if Osborne was leader they'd be doing much worse than under Cameron. Now, I think that Osborne has been a crap Chancellor but Tories rate his performance highly, and he certainly has a serious policy track record to be judged on, unlike Boris. Unlike Boris, though, he's not charismatic, witty or entertaining....

[Rincewind]

Great bloke. In touch with the average working man,

 

http://www.londonnet.co.uk/news/2009/jun/boris-johnson-latest-be-hit-expenses-scandal.html

[Guest MattP]

Long live the averse working man.

[Rincewind]

Long live the average working man.

Indeed.

Damm spell checker. Its supposed to be 'average'. I thought averse was your way of making fun of it.

[ADK]

That's two of us with little idea of what he's actually done as mayor, then....and no London correspondents have piped up to explain.

 

The stuff quoted on his Wikipedia page is pretty minor: banning booze on the tube, extending it to 24 hours at weekends, expanding/implementing Red Ken initiatives. Presumably, he deserves at least some credit for the Olympics proceeding smoothly; even if the IOC and others handled most of that, at least he didn't intervene in such a way as to cock it up; presumably he has sweet-talked a few City investors into coughing up cash?

 

I'm genuinely curious, not least as there's a distinct chance that Boris might be PM within 6 years (much sooner if next year's election is close and/or a Scottish referendum "Yes" vote means that there's another election in a couple of years time....and short odds that he'll be leader of the opposition within a year if Labour win most seats in 2015. His apparent lack of major policy initiatives as Mayor seems to support my theory that he (and others, like Blair; this isn't a party political point) are mainly popular for superficial reasons of personal charisma, entertainment value etc.

 

A poll was quoted in the "i" today, saying that if Boris was leader, the Tories would be within an ace of winning an absolute majority, whereas if Osborne was leader they'd be doing much worse than under Cameron. Now, I think that Osborne has been a crap Chancellor but Tories rate his performance highly, and he certainly has a serious policy track record to be judged on, unlike Boris. Unlike Boris, though, he's not charismatic, witty or entertaining....

 

I imagine they'd win a landslide with Jeremy Clarkson then.

[Rincewind]

I imagine they'd win a landslide with Jeremy Clarkson then.

What does that say about the British public?