Boris Johnson normally gives a good impression of enjoying the monthly ritual of Mayor’s Question Time. Not the actual answering of the questions mind, but the opportunity it affords him to run down his predecessor’s term of office and regurgitate accusations of wrongdoing or slack procedures.
Today’s session was a little harder for the Mayor, with the Evening Standard and Guardian following up on the Guardian’s original story of key aide Ian Clement using his City Hall credit card for personal purchases (we’re required to point out that he always repaid the costs of the items and made no personal gains from the transactions).
Boris sought refuge behind his near namesake, London Assembly Chair Darren Johnson who helpfully pointed out that the Mayor couldn’t discuss the specifics of any disciplinary action taken against Clement.
He wouldn’t tell us if his ‘Deputy Mayor for Government and External Relations’ had offered to resign or why it took several months for the use of the card to be stopped, but he was at pains to tell us how angry he was about the whole thing and how “crass” he thought it was.
He was also very keen to answer every second question with an offer for his aide to appear before the Assembly. There was little in the way of support for the man who has clearly caused the Mayor deep embarrassment.
Usually when the Labour Assembly Members ask questions the Tory group tend to become quite noisy and, in some cases, a tad abusive. Today they sat quietly and rather glumly as Boris wobbled and hedged his way through the questions. Their faces grew longer as copies of the Standard’s front page were passed round the table.
Some clearly longed for those easy days when they could rattle off failings (perceived or real) of systems under the previous regime which the Wheatcroft panel so kindly collated for them in the early day’s of Boris’s administration.
Now Labour have their own accusations to lob around the chamber and with Clement still in post they have greater potential to damage Boris’s administration. The Mayor’s public display of anger is a sign of just how much he knows this.
TawkinSenz says
Martin,
Your opening paragraph says it all. Boris is from the ‘boo ya’ world of politics and his only defence is to try and make others look worse than himself.
What is the point of moaning about the predecessor when you are more than a year into a job. I am a contractor and I make it a rule to never slag off my predecessor (no matter how tempting) – simply because it’s unprofessional and reflects badly on you – and ultimately it serves no purpose as you cannot change the past.
Sadly the rules of the real world don’t apply in politics and Boris is the furthest thing from a professional mayor.
I sincerely hope the people of London are learning their lessons, don’t always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, because once you get there you’ll realise it soon fades.
I have to admit I didn’t think Boris would do the job this badly – sure I thought eventually people would see the mis-management coming through – but it takes time. However he has really surpassed himself by surrounding himself with protective aides – who unfortunately seem to be (well the majority) totally inappropriate for the positions they have been given.
Roll on the next election – I’m thinking about entering my cat for the mayoral race, he’s friendly, popular (certainly with the lady cats) and he’s got a 100% clean record. He has also compiled a dossier on the mis-management by Boris over the last year along with some unsubstantiated claims of corruption which might (accidently) leak into the press shortly before the election.
Appealing of Ealing says
“I sincerely hope the people of London are learning their lessons…”
I don’t think the people of London need take any lessons from you.
“…don’t always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, because once you get there you’ll realise it soon fades.”
So after all the grandstanding and waffle, this is the substance of your argument: a quaint little aphorism — how lovely. I’ll remember that next time I’m voting (for Johnson, if he’s on the ballot paper).
TawkinSenz says
Appealing
I was not teaching Londoners lessons – it’s Boris who is teaching them a lesson. Did you not read the post properly? Maybe it was too long because you’re used to meaningless metaphors, punchlines and catchphrases (after all you are a Boris voter).
The use of the laconic phrase was so that the people who have a ‘TV attention span’ can understand what I was trying to politely say.
I presume you voted for Boris knowing that many of his pre-election promises would be broken then? and that his record on ‘integrity of the office’ would be the same as (if not worse) than the previous administration?
….or did you just put an X by Boris’s name because you recognised him off the TV?
If you want to defend Boris’s record then I am quite happy to debate it constructively, but if you are merely going to attack my method of diction then I won’t be engaging with you.
The absence of such an argument is a sign that there is no defence for Boris’s mis-management thus far and therefore your declaration of voting for him next time merely reduces your reputation as being someone with intelligence.
…or to put it simply, “clever people learn from their mistakes – only fools go back for more”