Boris Johnson for London Mayor

[mumtolily]

Please say yes!

Ken is best. Boris is an affable light entertainer type, not a contender for a proper job like mayor of Londinium.

Ken has proven policies: Travel wise the congestion charge rocks (but needs to be widened to include a greater area and the Kennington parents with kids with special needs should apply for a blue badge), free bus rides for kids are excellent, oyster cards are dead cool. The GLA diversity initiatives are wonderful and Ken has responded in exemplary fashion to the terrorist threats to London. Have really admired his stance there. And the Tour de France is here next week too... vv00+ vv00+

Can't respect Boris after that time he was caught with two kids in one seatbelt.

They have learning difficulties Scummymummy and aren't entitled to a blue badge (they have tried and tried to get one).

I hate the congestion charge with a passion because of its abitrary borders and flat charge. Srely you must agree that a hefty charge per mile applied to the whole of London would be fairer?.

Bet you anything the tories won't get rid of the congestion charge even if they get the mayor post ... I'm biased cos I bat for Labour ... but thinking about the personalities rather than the parties can't quite figure out boris ... I'm old enough to have been in the same year as him at university - public persona exactly the same as he is now and it was a bit of a surprise to those of us that didn't know him when he produced got a first class degree. Then he went off to be a journalist, found something that he thought might be bits of the a supergun (remember that?) all the other journalists made fun of him then proved right. Then the Spectator, then MP etc. etc.

I think he's now said he doesn't want be Mayor t but it would be interesting to see what he would do if he actually went for it. I'm pretty relieved that he's shown lack of application to date cos underneath that floppy fringe i think a totaly out of touch highly intellectual right wing brain lurks.

In what possible way is he fanciable - can't see it AT ALL! Although he was boyf. with and subsequently married (and divorced) one of the nicest and most attractive posh girls in his year at uni. so I guess he must have something.

Learning difficulties shouldn't usually prevent them getting a badge, cd. Poor their mum. Or is it that they have quite mild problems individually but are together a real handful?

I think a charge per mile is a bad idea because it makes it much easier to make short journeys in the car. It almost rewards people for using the car to go round the corner. What we need is for people to think Arrgh- it's just not worth spending £X to go 1.5 miles down the road. I'll walk/bus/tube/bike it instead. So I think the flat charge should be extended across London, really.

But there should be exemptions galore for people who need cars because of disability or illness, imo, and I feel for your friend.

I disagree with that Scummymummy. As it stands at present, only a small minority of people face a disincentive to drive short distances (i.e. those who live on the border who face paying £8.00 to drive say 1 mile). If you live in the zone, you can obviously drive all day to your hearts content for a mere 80p (and by definition, these are London's wealthiest residents). Alternatively, if you are driving across London, the £8.00 charge is roughly comparable to public transport costs if there are 2 or more in the car. Also, once you've paid the charge for the day, there's no incentive to use other forms of transport than the car for that day.

Would people really be willing to pay £2 - £3.00 daily for a trip which could easily be done by bus or on foot? I personally don't think so.

As to my friends, their learning difficulties are certainly not extreme but what it does mean is that they go to a different school to their sister which combined with working parents means they can't fit public transport into their morning schedule given allt he logistics.

Boris is more of a jester,
a witty political commentator,
a kind of posh Jeremy Clarkson.

The moment we give him any kind
of serious political responsibility we
deprive ourselves of a funny chap (as he
will have to sound responsible and grown-up
in his comments) and instead get a political
lightweight who is highly unlikely to cope
with the boredom of daily micropolitics
or with the power games that he
will have to play to get things
done in the rather fluid
role as London Mayor.

That would be rather annoying.

What I really want is Boris on my telly,
entertaining and informing me on 'heavy'
subjects in his usual affable manner.

Please, Boris, do the right thing!

Interesting post DaddyJ. I actually think though that Boris would plough on regardless, after all being an MP and on the opposition front bench doesn't seem to have crushed his exuberance or ability to put his foot in his mouth.

The one policy of Ken's that I absolutely LOVE is the proposed £25 charge per day for 4x4's, regardless of whether people live in the zone or not. I really really hope he actually introduces this.

Errrrm NO!!!

He is my MP & has ignored me on the 2 things I have contacted him on