The campaign against would-be Tory Mayoral hopeful Boris Johnson is
well and truly underway with the past few days seeing both his
seriousness and attitude to race relations called into question.
First up was Doreen Lawrence who told the Guardian Newspaper that Johnson would “destroy the city’s unity”
Next up were London Labour MPs Dawn Butler and Diane Abbott. The
BBC reports Ms Butler is unhappy with a 2002 article penned by
Johnson in which he wrote of “flag-waving piccaninnies”. For her part
Diane Abbott has accused him of holding “1950s attitudes to race”.
On Tuesday Labour London Assembly Member said the would-be Mayor “comes
across as someone who is not taking the job seriously” after it was
reported that Johnson claimed one of the biggest challenges he’s faced
in London was “negotiating Hyde Park Corner by bicycle”
What should perhaps trouble the Johnson camp far more than the strongly
denied insinuations of racism is Ken Livingstone’s use of a BBC radio
interview to praise Johnson’s chances and the threat he posed to his
own re-election.
There may not yet be a confirmed candidate from either of the main
opposition parties but Mr Livingstone’s “get out the vote” strategy is already underway.
