by Martin Hoscik, Editor
First Published: Thursday 29 May 2008, 09:51
Ouch, it seems even the Standard are having a sly dig at Mayor Boris for taking a holiday just three weeks after being elected having promised during the election to ‘work flat -out’ for Londoners.
Nothing would be easier than to join in but actually it’s all a bit unfair. Political campaigns, especially successful ones, are hard work. Long hours not only keep you away from family and friends but leave you mentally and physically exhausted and it’s undoubtably in everyone’s interest for the Mayor to have a few days away to recharge his batteries.
For their part the Mayor’s office are defending the holiday on the grounds that Richard Barnes, the Deputy Mayor of London, is around. That’s all well and good but the new administration have spent three weeks downplaying the role of Deputy Mayor and knowingly causing confusion over it.
Barnes wasn’t, as he should have been, the first appointment announced, the job title of ‘deputy’ has been handed out to every other one of the Mayor’s ten personal staff, unelected employees have been deputising for the Mayor and last week the role of ‘First Deputy Mayor’ was announced for what could more properly be described as Chief of Staff.
If the Mayor really has a desire to give out such grand titles - and given his promise to end cronyism he looks pretty silly doing so - it would have cleverer to give Barnes the ‘First Deputy Mayor’ moniker to mark him out from the paid employees.
In the meantime let’s hope the Mayor returns from holiday burning with great ideas for our capital including a way to ensure that those on income support can continue to enjoy the half price bus and tram fares he’s decided to scrap for wholly dogmatic purposes.
2. at 3:05 on Saturday 31st May 2008, Damian Hockney wrote:
With the exception of this one, reports about the holiday (and comments) have been tribal - if you support Boris, then he's a family man...deserves a holiday...'proves' he has a good life/work balance...And if you oppose Boris, this 'proves' he will not honour his commitment to working flat out and you have a dig about his family man status. None of which 'proves' a thing, and is a diversion from the real issue. But it is also a reminder that when politics descends totally into the personal, it becomes almost impossible to make clear judgements on anything but the person's earnings, clothes, partners, lifestyle, haircut or choice of music. Sideshows and diversions like this become the real thing, and opinions are mostly artificial and spread either by supporters ('hurrah') or opponents ('boo')...but look in vain for balanced logic, even in the newspapers
3. at 14:50 on Saturday 31st May 2008, angela wrote:
Also, Mayor Johnson is spending time with his kids at half term. If he didn't, he would probably be slated for treating them like little tax deductions and no doubjt when they are big they would be swelling the crime figures. Totally agree with you, he deserved a break.
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1. at 14:53 on Friday 30th May 2008, Tory Troll wrote:
Dave Hill has news of a potential climbdown on the scrapping of half-price bus fares. If true it is great news, although it will be interesting to see where the money will come from to pay for it now there is no subsidy.