Boris Johnson: a genuine concern...

[Brendan]

I am sure you are right Sean. Although I warn you now that no matter how eloquently and intelligently you challenge my prejudices I shall stick with hard-jawed belligerence to my dislike of that smug, squeaky voiced crook.

Coincidentally, there are currently 16 PFI projects in the UK, 8 of which are in London.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Well if you ever fancy a job as a black-cab driver you've passed the interview ;-)

[blinder999]

Brendan Wrote:

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> I am sure you are right Sean. Although I warn you

> now that no matter how eloquently and

> intelligently you challenge my prejudices I shall

> stick with hard-jawed belligerence to my dislike

> of that smug, squeaky voiced crook.

sad, Toynbee's quite right:

here is just one day's Standard coverage. Yesterday's front page sported a glowing picture of Cameron and Boris out with their wives, with a poll putting Johnson 11 points ahead. Page two hammered Labour's 10p tax troubles. Pages six and seven had a double-page anti-Ken spread. Page eight had "Ken accused of dirty tricks", written by Andrew Gilligan. Page nine had a Ken photo in Muslim dress with another Gilligan attack story. A leading article backs Boris, then another column by Gilligan attacks Ken for "The great Olympic 'con'". Opposite, another large opinion piece by Simon Jenkins begins "Londoners should vote for Boris Johnson". The diary, on pages 14 and 15, carries six anti-Labour items, followed by a double-page spread attacking Livingstone's architectural record. Other anti-Ken bites appear on page 20.

This is no newspaper, it's a Tory campaign sheet more virulent than any previous one I can remember. Rumour has it that this is the loss-making paper's swansong, so it doesn't care how many readers it bores to death. It just wants to paper every London street corner with billboards damning Ken. The assault works: many who can't quite list his crimes feel that Livingstone is too sleazy to vote for.

[david_carnell]

Associated Newspapers Ltd....to%^ers. And don't forget one of the freebies is theirs as well.

May Paul Dacre, in the words of Johnny Cash, rot and burn in hell.

Sorry. Spit-flecked rant over.

Vote Ken.

[Brendan]

Yeah no, sorry. Everything in London is just fine. It is running perfectly smoothly after 8 years of glorious leadership from Ken Livingston.

And just because I am critical of him doesn?t for a moment mean that I support that Johnson tit. But I suppose that is assumed because of the lie of the 2 party democracy that proliferates in Britain.

[Jah Lush]

Vote insanity, you know it makes sense.

[SeanMacGabhann]

easy Bren - none of the replies even hinted that everything is poyfect in London - just... you know... if you are going to have a go at something, anything it's best to support it or at least contextualise it

(oooh how we enjoyed doing this in the Enemies of Reason thread....)

[Ant]

I broadly agree with you, Brendan, about the two-party democracy thing, but at the same time I think it's fading. It seems to me that the Greens and Lib Dems are seen as more serious alternatives than they were when I was but a nipper, too young to vote and convinced that my parents and their generation were doing it wrong.

Course, just cos it seems that way to me doesn't make it so. And in the context of the mayoral election at least I have to agree it does looks like being a straight Ken v Boris fight.

The vote for the assembly, though...

[Brendan]

Sean as always, I am not to be taken 100% seriously.

[SeanMacGabhann]

och I know that ya lovely man you... (nice swerve btw ;-) )

[Marmora Man]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Anyone voting for this upper class twit has got to

> be two stops short of Dagenham.

>

> Boris Exposed

Jah - a list of Ken Livingstone selected quotes would be equally as damning.

I'm against Ken and for Boris. Reasons:

1. Change - 8 years of Ken is enough, a third term would cement his own belief that he can do anyhting and ignore the electorate.

2. Boris is far brighter and far more collegiate that his caricatured persona. He would not, personally, mastermind massive change. He would appoint and use sensible, intelligent staff to work out and implement details of policy.

3. Ken has lied, lied and lied again. No more thanks.

[Brendan]

But do you think that Borris really gives a toss about the poor in a city that has 3rd world levels of social inequality?

[Torben Pieknik]

I find it troubling that people are happy to accept that Boris will surround himself with good people so he doesn't f**k it up. Surely London needs someone who can actually make the right decisions/do the job, not someone who has to rely on a team of unelected appointees to stop him making a hash of things?

[Keef]

And ... We're off!!!

Well I'm not, I'm voting after work.

[SeanMacGabhann]

some inane ramblings from luvvies but also some spot-on comments here:

Various Londoners talking about Boris

The comparison with Dubya is particularly pertinent - don't be fooled by the loveable clown who will employ the right people schtick (who would London's equivalent of Rumsfield and Cheney be anyway?)

[peckhamboy]

Surely London needs someone who can actually make the right decisions/do the job, not someone who has to rely on a team of unelected appointees to stop him making a hash of things?

Which is why I'm not voting for Ken...

[mockney piers]

Gits have moved my polling station without mentioning it to anyone on the estate.

And you try looking on here for where your polling station is.

http://www.londonelects.org.uk/

You hunt around, find a place to put your postcode and it takes me to the southwark page. No shit sherlock!!, not to mention that my new polling station (having phoned up the electoral services commission, all a little bit late for my vote though) appears to be in Lambeth!!

[mockney piers]

blimey, trying to find a detailed map of London's boroughs is hard work.

Here's an old one to warm Alan Dale's cockles though

http://www.hipkiss.org/data/maps/bartholomews-pocket_atlas-and-guide-to-london_1922_metropolitan-boroughs_2000_1486_600.jpg

[Brendan]

I voted by post a few days ago.

then that stupid website told me I had voted for the wrong people. :-S

[Keef]

Torben Pieknik Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I find it troubling that people are happy to

> accept that Boris will surround himself with good

> people so he doesn't f**k it up. Surely London

> needs someone who can actually make the right

> decisions/do the job, not someone who has to rely

> on a team of unelected appointees to stop him

> making a hash of things?

There is a fine line between making big decisions, and being so arrogant you don't take advise.

[Marmora Man]

Brendan Wrote:

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> But do you think that Borris really gives a toss

> about the poor in a city that has 3rd world levels

> of social inequality?

Yes I really do. To meet Boris is to believe he is a genuinely caring person. To meet Ken (which I haven't done - so this is less certain but what I infer from his own statements, observations and my prejudice) would be to meet a scheming egotist who uses all sections of society to pursue his own ideological ends rather than to serve and support different sections of society.

[Alan Feedlebra]

Boris: Idiot.

[Marmora Man]

Alan Feedlebra Wrote:

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> Boris: Idiot.

Simplistic analysis : Narrow thinking

[blinder999]

Marmora Man Wrote:

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> To meet Boris is to believe he is

> a genuinely caring person. To meet Ken (which I

> haven't done - so this is less certain but what I

> infer from his own statements, observations and my

> prejudice) would be to meet a scheming egotist who

> uses all sections of society to pursue his own

> ideological ends rather than to serve and support

> different sections of society.

To meet Ken (which I haven't...'???

'a genuinely caring person' - my personal political outlook and knowledge of Johnson acquired from his public profile lead me to believe that he's just another would-be aristocrat with a misplaced sense of entitlement - a classic example of a fairly stupid person who has received the best education money can buy.

IMO he 'genuinely cares' about acquiring power for its own sake, because he loves the high public profile, and the self-enriching possibilities it can provide. As long as he gets a few more quid in the bank to keep his kids at Eton, and maybe a fancy title at the end of it, he'll be more than happy to be a puppet on a string for whatever group of unelected nasty party sympathisers Cameron appoints.

[lozzyloz]

To meet Boris is to believe he is a genuinely caring person.

I'm sure his wife thought differently when she discovered his affair.

I've not met either of them but at the end of the day they're both politicians so not 100% trustworthy. There's not much between them even if their ideology is different.

On drink and drugs: Ken-Likes a Whisky, Boris prefers Cocaine

On political cohesion: Ken was kicked out off Labour's National Executive for being radical, Boris was sacked from the Tory front bench for lying

On misquotes: Ken misquoted on the 'Nazi' affair and Boris on the 'Water Melons and Piccannini' speech

On love life: Ken has kids out of wedlock, Boris got caught

The only major difference I can see is that Ken (who was born and brought up around the corner) has run London, pretty well IMO and Boris has no track record and was born in the US and educated in Brussels.