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Boris Johnson for London Mayor

109 replies

mumtolily · 04/07/2007 12:35

Please say yes!

OP posts:
GameGirly · 04/07/2007 16:16

I know, Marina, I know ... but I'm not convinced he'd be any worse than Ken. And certainly more amusing.

DominiConnor · 04/07/2007 18:20

You're right. His original election was as far as I can tell a combination of two factors.
Firstly he was cheated out of the Labour party ticket, and a lot of people wanted to stick it to the Blairite control freaks.
Also, I'm a headhunter, and if you had asked me to find a less attractive candidate than Dobson, I would have laughed and refused the assignment.

That was then, and this is now.
Livingstone has managed a sophisticated trick of being Labour without the stigma of being Blairite.
But he will still lose a good number votes because of Iraq, even though he was against it from the start.

I have a soft spot for him. Anyone who is so hated by the Evening Standard can't be all bad.
I admire the purity of his political focus, unencumbered by anything other than his own advancement. He is a master at his craft, and as such fascinating to watch even if like me, you loathe his goals.

Fossil · 05/07/2007 07:41

I prefer that other blond Boris. The German one who played tennis.

Bienchen · 05/07/2007 09:07

Am trying tp picture the election campaign - probably Punch & Judy

smallwhitecat · 05/07/2007 09:15

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paulaplumpbottom · 05/07/2007 09:26

Boris Becker

southeastastra · 05/07/2007 09:29

danny baker true londoner

oliveoil · 05/07/2007 09:32

I love Boris and his sister's column is ok, you snidey lot

she did a feature about her mum selling her flat the other day as well

but it was a nice big flat so I am sure you will moan about that and her not being down with the people or some guff

Ken L is an arse

paulaplumpbottom · 05/07/2007 09:33

I agree about Ken Livingston, he makes my skin crawl

DaddyJ · 05/07/2007 09:37

As a Londoner I think it bad manners to
monopolise bumbling Boris.
I'd rather he became full time presenter
on Have I got News for you.

Livingstone has done well.
Happy to let him carry on until after the Olympics.

batters · 05/07/2007 10:27

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Peachy · 05/07/2007 10:29

Well I'm sure he would rapidly amke Ken livingstone's Jewish fuck up seem relatively minor.....

Poor poor London

Marina · 05/07/2007 10:32

Batters possibly not, judging by some of the appreciation being shown here.
I don't much like Ken Livingstone as a person myself, or some of his viewpoints, but I still think overall he is an effective Mayor who really does care about the City he lives in.
Boris may be clever, erudite and amusing, but his record of parliamentary/public service achievement and innovation doesn't match his talent for entertaining schtick IMO. Can anyone tell me some of the things he has done which demonstrate how he'd be specifically right for Mayor of London?
This job requires more than a larky backbencher approach IMO.

Marina · 05/07/2007 10:33

Oh and olive, if you think he's that great, why not invite him up to your neck of the woods. He's got quite a high profile in the North West I believe

bundle · 05/07/2007 10:35

batters

i occasionally see him in waitrose on the holloway rd.. - nope, have never felt swoony at all

southeastastra · 05/07/2007 10:36

what about Janet Street-Porter she'll sort out london hahah

bundle · 05/07/2007 10:36

agree with marina re: ken, who's often a twerp but has a real passion about london, whatever you think of his policies

bundle · 05/07/2007 10:37

@ JSP

CaraLondon · 05/07/2007 10:37

Ken is vile - and the additional money that we have to fork out in London to keep his London fiefdom rolling is just absurd - £200+ a year, when it was promised that it would never cost Londoners more than £30 a year - and for what? Livingstone isn't responsible for getting my bins cleared.

ALso I don't think it can ever be right that the London mayor spends our money on posters on the tube against nuclear power or spending our money on promoting the views of fundamentalists. That is just his own views being perpetuated rather than encouraging any engagement with debate over the issues.

What happened to "zero tolerance" policing or coordinating London's PCTs - two policies which would actually benefit Londoners, and is more about deploying existing resources effectively than wasting a whole lot more of taxpayers cash? A co-ordinating role is really what the London Mayor ought to be doing, rather than just having another tier of government.

The only problem with Boris is that he is fundamentally lazy - witness that when he was editing the Spectator, a lot of the weekly columns in the Telegraph were just a rehash of his editorials. However, I'd rather have someone that little bit lazy who stopped interfering in the lives of Londoners than this power-crazed baboon we currently have.

Marina · 05/07/2007 10:38

I do like Danny Baker though
I think the Tories really haven't grasped that you need someone with some real experience and commitment. They keep fielding comedy candidates

smallwhitecat · 05/07/2007 10:48

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chocolatedot · 05/07/2007 11:26

Oh yes, of course Ken Livingstone had a brilliant track record before his election

chocolatedot · 05/07/2007 11:28

You are so right CaraLondon (including about Boris's indolence). Ken's newspaper is the most outrageous (and expensive) peive of political propoganda I have ever come across. He wastes money like nobody else, with the possible expection of certain London Boroughs.

Marina · 05/07/2007 11:33

Well come on then ladies (although I am starting to wonder if chocolatedot is my dh undercover on Mn), who should the Tories field? Who can take by no means perfect Ken on, credibly?
I do think Ken did a lot of good at the GLC - I grew up in London and was devastated when it was dismantled and our County Hall sold to a Japanese development corporation.
And silly ephemeral pieces of propaganda are produced by Tory local politicians too. We get a prize piece of news-for-Tory-parrots nonsense through our door on a regular basis from the Opposition locally.
London is full of distinctive accents and I find Boris Johnson AND Ken Livingstone's voices unpleasant to listen to.

bagsundereyes · 05/07/2007 12:09

CaraLondon - one huge expense that is paid for from Ken's money is the Metropolitan Police.

I love Ken, newts and all .