“The Jubilee was one of the greatest aquatic triumphs of the British people”
This was said by Boris Johnson on American television, when he was promoting his book. There’s a video of it here.
Have we ever had a politician like Boris before?
Boris hints that he could be President of the United States as he was born in New York.
I suspect, he’d make a better fist of it, than some of second-raters, who’ve held the job in my lifetime.
The Election That Wasn’t
Has there ever been an election, that was so low key? I haven’t seen one window sticker or been canvassed. If it wasn’t for the coverage on television and in the papers, you would have thought there was no elections at all. I did see Boris once, but he wasn’t actually doing anything, except being nice to everybody.
The only result that says anything, has been turn-out of 32 %, that has been the worst for a decade.
I did vote, but the polling station was like a morgue. I saw two other voters and the one of those had got lost as he tried to find the room, where the vote was taking place.
In some ways the election that matters for London, other than the Mayor, takes place at the weekend in France. Turbulence and political uncertaincy there, will certainly affect London, but until we see the result of the Sarkozy-Hollande run-off, we won’t know how.
The Mayor Calls in the Supersewer
I know it’s election time and there are votes to be won, but I’m pleased that Boris has called in Thames Water proposal for a super sewer under the Thames. As I said in a previous post.
Although I should say, that as someone who has spent a lot of time around project management and managers, I will say that what gets built in the end, will be quite unlike what was originally proposed. That’s what good project management is about. It makes a project better, cheaper and less disruptive.
Let’s hope the engineers prove me right. Unfortunately, some of the alternatives, like stopping householders from creating hard-staandings in their front garden, are sometimes more unpopular than the super sewer.
Man Has Boris Tattooed on his Leg
Each to his own I suppose. But this?
Voting for the Bus
I was at the Angel yesterday afternoon, waiting for a 38 or 56 to take me home, when a New Bus for London passed the other way going towards Victoria.
The guy standing next to me, asked if I’d ridden the bus and I said several times. We then both agreed that we liked them and I said that as an engineer and a designer, it had a lot of good ideas that would find their way into new buses, making them all better.
He then made the statement, that although he was a lifelong Labour voter, he would be voting for the one candidate, who won’t be scrapping the bus; Boris.
Is this the first time that the man on the Dalston omnibus, has been swayed in his voting preference, by that bus?
Lord Sugar Doesn’t Back Ken For London Mayor
Lord Sugar is supposed to be a Labour Peer. But here are his words for Ken Livingstone as reported in the Telegraph.
The Labour peer defied Ed Miliband by telling his 1.8 million followers on Twitter to reject the party’s official candidate.
The intervention could amount to a breach of party rules and is likely to damage the Labour campaign.
“I don’t care if Ed Miliband is backing Livingstone,” Lord Sugar wrote. “I seriously suggest NO ONE votes for Livingstone in the Mayoral elections.”
He added that the contest between the Conservative, Boris Johnson, and Mr Livingstone was a “real issue”. “Livingstone must NOT get in.”
Not very supportive.
Guess Who?
On my trip on the New Bus for London, I sat by the rear platform for a time. I took this picture.
Guess Who?
Who is it? I should say that Health and Safety regulations, do not require all passengers to wear a parachute on the rear platform of the New Bus for London. There is always a helpful conductor or as I prefer a Bus Captain there to ensure good behaviour.
I should say, that I had a brief chat with the Bus Captain, who very much liked the bus. I suppose acting as a Rear Gunner chatting to passengers, is better than being shut behind a Plexiglass screen with the money, driving the bus.
If you haven’t identified him yet, here’s a picture after he got off the bus.
Boris on the Stump
It’s only the second time, I’ve ever come across a politician on the stump. The first time, I was under a car fixing the brakes, when I was called out by a lady canvassing for her local party. I voted for her, as she apologised for interrupting me.
Ken Livingstone Won’t Like It
The second leader in The Times today, asks about Ken Livingstone’s attitude to London’s Jews.
It also questions his puzzling comments about homosexuality, claiming that the Tory party is riddled with it.
It finishes with this paragraph.
This turns what would otherwise be a nasty squabble into an issue of importance to all London citizens and, indeed, beyond. A divisive politics that seeks to exploit tensions between religious groups for electoral gain would be a disaster, not just for the city but for the country. And it is to be hoped that Mr Livingstone will find it a disaster for him as well. Muslims value a united London, too.
Until now, I hadn’t really been too bothered about who was Mayor of London. Now, I’m certainly on an ABK ticket.
Is Bob Crow Going to the Olympics?
I suspect that if he does go, he won’t be too popular after holding the organisers to ransom over extra payments to his members.
Unless of course Ken wins the London Mayor election and he’ll be a guest of honour, along with a lot of other strange people.
Siobhan Benita: An Independent for Mayor for London
I read last night in the Standard, that Siobhan Benita, is running as an Independent for London Mayor. Here’s her web site.
So as far as I’m concerned what has she got that appeals to me.
She certainly looks better than the three main candidates; Ken Livingston, Boris Johnson and Brian Paddick, but that is really irrelevant. On the other hand, I lived next to a woman MP for some years and know the difficulty of mixing family and politics from talking to her. My friend had brought up three children as an MP and it didn’t help her marriage, which eventually broke. But I don’t think she ever let those who voted for her down. But things are different now, in that nannies and other help are much more affordable. And judging by the time you see Boris on the box doing things unrelated to his job as mayor, it is a high profile job, but you can find time for family and other things.
Like me Siobhan is a London mongrel, who has spent a fair proportion of her life in the city.
The fact that she is an Independent appeals too. I grew up in the old Borough of Southgate, which like some of the other old London boroughs had an independent council. When the large London boroughs like Enfield was created we ended up with a Labour Council, who did the things that their party masters wanted. There was a lot of grand projects and services deteoriated. My father said it was just the same when Wood Green was merged into Haringey. And they were both Labour councils! Those with local connections were sidelined for the greater good of the party.
But she will win if her policies appeal. Or not as the case may be! I shall comment on these and what I would do if I was Mayor over the next few days.
I think her biggest problem will be getting the media to take her seriously and also to give her the coverage she needs.
The Anonymous Widower 