Boris reporting for duty
Hi folks, this is Boris Johnson here. Welcome to my blogsite, where I hope to be blogging for some time to come. You may ask yourself why on earth I am filling the electronic ether with yet more of my stuff, given that I can already be discovered in the pages of the Henley Standard, Daily Telegraph, Spectator etc.
It is a damn good question.
The answer is that very persuasive man called Tim has recently been to my office in the Commons. He told me that blogging is the future. He spoke of the online community, and its rapid expansion. He said that newspapers were outmoded.
He spoke of a new kind of politics. He waved his hands and rolled his eyes. So I have acceded to his advice, and begun to blog.
Tim tells me that the idea is that I fall out of bed every morning, blazing with inspiration, and thunder out 3000 words on the issue of the hour, so generating a pandemic internet controversy. I am not sure, frankly, that I will manage that. But I hope that there will be some other bloggers out there who may feel moved to give me some advice – not least on the funding of the Arts, to which I am now devoting my meditations.
Must blog off for the time being.
101 Comments
Hurrah!
The internet won’t know what hit it.
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Boris;
Welcome to the 21st century, it’s good to have you on board, though I have to say; you are about the last person on earth that I ever expected to have a blogging site! Tom Watsons’ earlier comment about it not being possible to be too nasty to LibDems on these sites is entirely accurate. It’s a bit like kicking a wasps nest; lots of yellow and black everywhere and an annoying humming noise.
Anyway, I look forward to cringing with embarrassment at your blogs just like I did when you appeared on Have I Got News for You. You are a unique character – some might say thankfully, but I will be charitable – and I am sure you will make an equally unique contribution to the world of blogging.
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Anyone think the type is a bit small? When I resize the text it knackers the layout though. Can we have a larger base font size please?
I’m on XP 1024×768 using Firefox 1.0 beta by the way.
Ta.
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Political Blogs C/D S & D
Yay! Boris Johnson has just started one…
http://www.boris-johnson.com
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Cripes, I never realized I was so popular!
This blog thingy is a jolly good wheeze.
Yours etc,
Boris
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Dear Boris,
Welcome to the blogosphere. My advice on the question of funding for the arts can be succintly expressed in one word: don’t.
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*steals [Ed: we must keep all comments above board please] back*
*cannot stop laughing*
Oh, Boris, you know we American girls can’t resist an English accent.
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I know Josie, that’s what Tiffie said to me about that Blunkett blighter.
I said, ‘Tiffie old thing, what do you see in the fellow’? And she said ‘Boris get out of my office, or you’re fired’.
Dammy! Can’t a fellow ride his bicycle in peace without young american fillies throwing themselves at him like riderless grand national runners?
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Welcome to Blogistan!
I’m a retired blogger: after a year or so (2002-3) I got all my rants off my chest.
I regret to say I’m also a semi-retired Speccie reader. I never missed an issue 1986-1999, despite (actually because) I disagreed with so much of it. On my Australian ritual working holiday in the UK I went to the 1989 Spectator vs Coach and Horses cricket match at the Oval. I saw (and even spoke to!) Charles Moore, Dominic Lawson, Taki and Giles Auty. Jeffrey Bernard was the umpire.
I still look at the Speccie online, but no longer do I shell out $5 (or whatever the price is now). For me, 1997 was the turning point: the Tories were (and still are) impotent in the face of New Labour (the Thatcher/Major years would have been a lot shorter if British Labour had had Bob Hawke in charge!) and the ongoing campaign against Pricess Diana’s memory left a nasty taste. And Rod Liddle: call that ‘being provocative’?
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Greetings from Australia, Boris. It’s good to have you in blog-world. How’s about coming down here and sorting things out for us!
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One good thing about blogging : you can always go back and correct minor typoes, like
.
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He told he that blogging is the future
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A question : when is the UK Conservative party going to remove its collective thumb out of its orifice-of-your-choice? Why is it that Blair and Co are the main enemy of Loony Labour Lefties, and not you guys? Still, the question’s rhetorical, I can hardly expect a Conservative MP to bag his own party outside closed doors.
Another question : Henley as in -on-Thames? If so, you’d be my local member had we not emigrated to Oz in 68.
And a remark : yes, please get your tame Geek to install comment registration. As a non-Marxist politician, it’s only a matter of time before the Moonbat Left come in and start faking posts by you confessing to Child molestation, and similar tricks. If you’re lucky, this will be obvious. If you’re not, it will be something like “I’m looking at the NAMBLA and wondering if we should encourage something like this in Britain, from the viewpoint of Freedom of Speech?”. You Have Been Warned.
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Is it true you hired Andrew Gilligan?
Don’t worry about Allan E Brain he is a left wing moonbat and I can hear him barking now.
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Hai Boris, Tim Blair just send me to tell you’re an idiot for hiring Andrew Gilligan.
I also have a tip: there is currently a US news anchor looking for new work. Has television experience like Andrew, and isn’t too afraid of making strong statements. Unlike Andrew he doesn’t know how to operate a PDA, but he knows MS Word.
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Welcome Boris,
Hopefully a high-profile blogging MP will show some other high profile MPs that they do have time to write on their own blog, even if they are very busy being Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Mike
(Not) Alan Milburn
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Hurrah!
Welcome to the blogosphere.
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Hi Boris – if you want to make something entertaining to read – don’t try and entertain. Just be yourself. The now sadly ended belledejour-uk.blogspot.com shows how to keep your readers coming back for more. Good luck and watch out for libel.
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Hi Boris,
Welcome to the Blogs.
Tim asked me to come over and say that, if it’s true, you are an idiot for hiring Gilligan.
I think you should have hired me instead.
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Good stuff Boris.. but.. the photos- you keep wearing a suit.
Real bloggers wear pajamas.
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hey boris I think keeping a blog is a very good idea. That persuasive man is right, blogging is the way of the future.
Does this Tim person know a lot about this sort of thing? If so, you should get him to set up a syndicated feed to livejournal and other blogging sites, so that your blog here automatically updates onto Livejournal – and then people on Livejournal can all read your blog much more conveniently. You should get one of them there clever computer-type people to sort this out for you. I for one would definitely read it.
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Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging Boris!
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I like the sound of “generating pandemic internet controversy”: you should put that on your business cards. Could you post some hair-care tips? Your public is keen to know how to maintain the optimum tousled mop effect.
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Excellent!
I have just let my subscription to the Spectator end. Though I enjoyed my one-year subscription immensely, the only thing which could entice me back to it would be a vast increase in the number of jokes involving…
[Ed: list snipped - making the blog accessible to everyone also means keeping the language down]
(Am currently considering subscribing to Viz).
]
[Ed: No surprises there.
But it’s great to know that you’re blogging, Boris! I shall definitely link and visit this site!
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Boris reporting for duty
It turns out that one suggestion for guest Greenhouse blogger has gone and set one up all by himself. Boris Johnson has entered the blogsphere. He’s also taking suggestions on ‘the funding of the arts’. He should take a look at this….
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I echo Boris – cripes! Look at all these comments…
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Hey, welcome to Blogging. I’m a member of the Labour Party, but I’m delighted to see you have a blog.
Hope to see you at a Blogmeet sometime!
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Dear Boris (ooh, the sheer thrill of writing that!)
Boris Blogs! Were finer words ever spoken? I was sufficiently moved to compose a haiku to mark the occasion.
Boris Johnson blogs!
White-blond hair and biting wit.
I must read it now.
Sadly, I fear Boris’ polysyllabic style may prevent him from responding in kind. But hey, a girl can dream.
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Congratulations to Boris Johnson, Melissa and the team (?) on joining the political blogging community. This is a great encouragement. I look forward to reading your posts.
(From skakagrall.com, an SNP blog in Edinburgh.)
[Switching hats]
I also publish OPERA JAPONICA, one of the main international opera sites (http://www.operajaponica.org). I have data on funding from 20 major international opera companies. The figures don’t prove anything or suggest any solutions, but they do illustrate the completely different approaches that are possible in different countries. The figures also indicate just how little performing arts activity there is in Britain, particularly compared with the German-speaking countries.
If you, or your helpers, make it this deep into the comments and are interested in having more information I would be happy to oblige.
Simon Holledge in Edinburgh
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Please do keep us up to date with your TV appearances too! To many of us you are first and foremost, an entertainer…
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Finally the offical Boris website. Since you have met George W Bush, maybe you could tell us what he is really like. Is he thick, or is this just a stupid rumour invented by frustrated Democrats who are sick of their own really boring candidate John Kerry (who I keep getting confused with Al Gore) or whatever his name is.Also it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on who will win the US election & who you want to win.
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Belle De Jour comes to an end and Boris ‘Blogger’ Johnson begins..hmmmmm strange coincidence
Welcome aboard Boris and the Blogstars (in the office) we all look forward to your humourous slant on life in and out of parliament. I’ve added you to my live journal interface and will recommend others do just the same.
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After careful thought, I can think of no other MP whose style of thought and writing would translate better to a blog. A warm welcome to the blogosphere, Boris.
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Hi Boris,
Great to have our first blogging Consevative MP, had a feeling it would be you.
Thanks also for the link, has upped the browse rate enormously. Keep in touch and keep blogging.
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Yielding place to new
To replace Mr Spin, like a white knight riding the Dulux dog, charges my old Oxford faction ally Boris Johnson. Lawks! Some have suggested this might be a wind-up, but it looks genuine to me. Can Boris find time in…
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Great blog Boris – as a blogging Conservative PPC it’s great to have blogging Conservative MPs batting for us too!
Keep it up – I’m sure to be an avid reader!
Antony Little
Conservative PPC, Norwich South
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Hey Boris
All I can suggest is – give the arts everything. Make art, not war. And, in terms of the blog, less press releases and more blogging. But welcome to the world of blog.
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Boris Johnson Blog.
A new addition to the blogosphere. Boris Johnson, Editor of the Spectator, columnist on the Telegraph, MP for Henley, Shadow Arts Minister and , well, etc etc etc, blah blah blah, has launched his blog. Nothing very interesting yet, just
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Excellent idea. Politicians’ blogs are all the fashion!
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Hello bicycling flaxen haired elected representative of Henley!
I despise all that the Conservative Party and The Spectator stand for with every fibre of my being. I also don’t really know what a ‘blog’ is. However you are an extremely entertaining man and I shall be visiting your site regularly from now on!
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So the B in Boris is for ‘blog’! The Boris Johnson Fan Club is committed to the promotion, discussion and admiration of Boris Johnson and now, here, the man himself opens up his heart and mind for the education and enlightenment of the world. Beyond the dated medium of newspaper, beyond even radio and television, this new Boris Blog should bring forth Henley’s Finest to a new audience across the world. Long live Boris, and long live the blog!
The Boris Johnson Fan Club
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Boris – Many congratulations for talking the talk and walking the walk. I’m glad that you are doing what Tony “Bliar” Blair fails to do – the No.10 website no longer even solicits comments on content!!
It takes guts for a politician to welcome feedback – and to do it in this direct, hi-tech way is a breath of fresh air.
My only criticisms are -
1) don’t see why lab-bloggers are listed esp arch turn-coat shaun woodward.
2) Get the balance between the constituency “Boris”, the columnist “Boris” and the celeb “Boris” correct: they should be in that order, but the content of the website suggests the reverse!!!!
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Chris posted:
1) don’t see why lab-bloggers are listed esp arch turn-coat shaun woodward.
2) Get the balance between the constituency “Boris”, the columnist “Boris” and the celeb “Boris” correct: they should be in that order, but the content of the website suggests the reverse!!!!
———-
I think this is a thoroughly good move. It a wider interest in engaging with people rather than purely partisan politics.
If all the MPs listed all the blogs of their peers then it would encourage more MPs to use such a communications channel. Eventually we could get to a situation where I could say to my MP ‘Why are you one of the few MPs who doesn’t regularly communicate to their consituents, say through a website?’
Of course, this could get unmanageable – so what it would need is one list which they all linked to.
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Hurrah, hurrah! A Boris-blog – and about time, too. I expect the place will be quiet for a few days, then insanely oversubscribed for about a year, then it will calm down to some sort of equilibrium and the regular commenters will become like old friends. I’m amused to see all the words of advice people have offered. You’ll find your own bloggy equilibrium – we all do.
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Cheers ta. Thanks for coming.
Good work son.
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Murk,
Thank you for listing Boris Johnson as a “favourite blog” on your website – very touching.
“Blog” should be listed as a word in the Collins and Oxford dictionaries don’t you think?
Thank you for your v useful comments.
M
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Blogs finally about to reach mainstream?
The New York Times magazine today has a cover story on blogs. (Bear with me, this is relevant to us). It’s actually focused on the new breed of American political commentators who rant and rave, so your eyes will probably
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Both ‘Blog’ and ‘Weblog’ are listed in my copy of Collins English Dictionary and defined as ‘a journal written on-line and accessible to users of the Internet’, which seems to me to be an over-simplification. There’s a much better definition here: http://huminf.uib.no/~jill/archives/blog_theorising/final_version_of_weblog_definition.html.
Oh, and welcome to the ‘blogosphere’, Boris et al.
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Thank you Nicholas – our dictionary is obviously behind the times being a 2003 edition…
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Hiya Boris!
I stumbled upon this site today, and am most pleased as a result! It will be jolly good to have yet another interface to meet my daily fulfillment of Boris-ness.
When are you next going on HIGNFY?? You are most certainly the most popular guest (hence the bonus disk on The Best of The Guest Presenters).
Have a coconut, on me!
Koran
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Bloggerheads – Year Three
Bloggerheads was born at 10:02 on Friday, December 14, 2001. On the first anniversary, I crunched a few numbers. Last year, I crunched and compared. This year, we crunch and compare yet again. (Next year, some comparisons may be a…
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Blogging MPs
A handful of MPs have taken the plunge and decided to start a blog. But in many cases, it hasn’t worked. Most of them aren’t really worth reading (Boris Johnson’s is one of the better ones). The problem is that…
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