Boris is Mayor of London
Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London. In a contest that has fascinated media all over the world, Boris beat his rival, the eight-year incumbent Mayor Ken Livingstone, by 139,772 votes. The election drew a record turnout by London voters, reflecting the high profile of the two main candidates.
Political commentators describe Boris as the most powerful elected Conservative politician in Britain today. As such, he has promised to work “flat out” to repay the confidence of Londoners and to make Greater London “greater still”.
boris-johnson.com is back online!
This is an open thread for anyone wishing to leave messages of support, but we ask you to consider the circumstances under which the site was removed before commenting; Boris was an innocent bystander in this affair, and we’d like to keep it that way until he sees fit to intervene beyond this statement:
“This is London, not Uzbekistan. It is unbelievable that a website can be wiped out on the say-so of some tycoon. We live in a world where internet communication is increasingly vital, and this is a serious erosion of free speech.”
The strongest level of comment moderation has been enabled (all comments must be read and approved prior to publication), but we hope to soften this line, at least to the point of immediate publication for trusted commenters, within a few days.
Thank you.
Tim Ireland
Local Elections May 2007
STOP PRESS
Excellent results for South Oxfordshire District – Conservative controlled council
For more details see the Council website and the Henley Standard.
Despite a couple of sad losses to the Lib Dems in Oxfordshire these are best results for the Tories in 15 years.
Boris on Webcameron
The long awaited and requested first podcast featuring Boris is available on Webcameron. The above link will take you to a Webcameron page where you can either subscribe to the Podcast or just view it. You can also access the podcast options at the bottom of their homepage.
Party Conference Choice Debate 06 – Jamie Oliver
Wednesday 4th October 2006
Conference choice debate.
Chaired by Theresa Villiers MP, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Panel:
Anna Soubry, + Gedling PPC in 2005, Conservative PPC for Broxtowe
Matthew Parris, Journalist
Boris Johnson MP, Shadow Higher Education Minister.
The debate choice was:
1. Road pricing is the future
2. Is Jamie Oliver a national hero?
3. Supermarkets have too much power.
4. We like the new look conference.
The choice made by the audience was #2: Is Jamie Oliver a national hero?
The panel was introduced and the Chair focused immediately on Boris Johnson in the light of the furore surrounding his alleged comments regarding Jamie Oliver at the conference. Johnson embraced this opportunity with gusto and declared himself to be not only in support of the motion but, in response to a muttered comment from the panel, that he is a determined member of the pie-eating liberation front. Also that the BBC had told him they were at a loss as to how his comments had been reported upside down.
Boris had pointed out that while schools are going to the often unfunded expense of ‘providing alfalfa or what have you’, as long as the children have the choice of crisps and junk food then it will be ‘difficult’ to persuade them to chose the healthy option and what is needed is a completely paternalistic approach. With not enough funding from central government, Boris simply voiced that he didn’t know how the initiative would work without parents’ support and an ‘eat what you’re given approach’.
Matthew Parris then told us he had bumped into William Hague and, as a short notice replacement, had asked him for advice on this issue. “Support the issue” was apparently Hague’s advice, “and if Boris was suggesting otherwise..”, “I wasn’t” added Boris. “But on personalities” continued Matthew Parris, ” support Boris” to loud agreement from the audience. Parris then made a serious point: In politics we want politicians to speak their minds and when they do we shoot them down in flames. Parris then recounted the press feeding frenzy over Boris and that Boris had been subjected to a circle of ‘about 200 photographers’ whilst he wrote an article.
Comments in favour or against the motion were then invited from the floor.
Calling constituents of Henley, South Oxfordshire
Are you a Henley constituency resident bursting with ideas? and keen to get more involved in local party politics and in sharing Boris’s aim of regenerating the youth vote? Then you might relish the chance to meet Boris at a small lunch to be held on Tuesday 29th November in a private dining room in the House of Commons and would happily buy a ticket.
For more details on lunch with Boris please contact me.
