Boris says awesome things...

“Had London done it, I’m not sure we would have done the switcheroo with the girl with the braces.”

Fresh from a troublesome flight, Boris’s final answer to the collected media in Beijing on hid fact-finding mission this morning pleased Boriswatch no end - the old Boris is still lurking under the City Hall officialdom he is displaying so impressively. The main thing that struck me in his answers at the conference was the honesty that he showed. Rather than telling everyone that everything is fine and organised and glossing greatly over any potential cracks - as we are used to with high-end politicians - he candidly revealed the pressing matters that he and his team are hoping to iron out, including how on earth we can accomodate the extra traffic in London during the Games. He’s sharing the process and the concerns with the country, and that’s something I’m sure most of us will appreciate.
Inadvertently, China have dealt the London Games a blow - their exceptionally organised way and willingness to spend as much money as needed have left the London Olympic committee green with envy. London will have to run like clockwork just to avoid any poor comparisons with China’s immense efforts…

Dire days were expected when Boris came to be Mayor of London. “A dodgy campaign”, said many. “A fool who’s swindled the public”, warned others. My good friend Mark was even interested to see whether London’s transport system would still be functioning on the Monday after the result. But, as Andrew Gimson notes in The Telegraph this weekend, Boris’s foes must be severely disappointed.
Boriswatch, in all fairness, was hopeful but apprehensive. Boris’s two main personality prongs have always battled to gain control of the Boris bandwagon - the cheery, jovial wit who could charm the world but struggled to be taken seriously; and the intensely clever figure whose intellect had continually pushed him up the greasy political pole. Which would win?
Well, it sames that the intellect has won, which is great for Boris’s profile but does provide a little less column inches (don’t suppose you’ve noticed? Ed)
I had the privilege to visit City Hall a couple of months ago for a look around his office and a hearty discussion on Boris-based online adventures. His team were excited, enthusiastic and looking forward to the task ahead. They were, to put it sympathetically, sweeping out the cobwebs of the organically grown City Hall that existed under Ken Livingstone. There were departments doing virtually identical things. There was a culture of late arrivals and early departures in the working day. And there were many people who were firm Ken supporters, mainly because Ken gave them a job. This is all being spruced up, and City Hall will be much better value for money for Londoners. Londoners themselves, at least those who weren’t firm supporters before, seem to have warmed to the new administration too.
As the Telegraph’s article concludes, for a man who less than four years ago was sacked from his shadow front-bench post by the then Tory leader, it is a pretty astonishing comeback. Ken, it is whispered in Hall corridors, is certain to want to plan his own comeback in 4 years. Has the last 100 days changed his mind, do you think?

Here are some interesting Boris-related links found in the last few days:

• Lost rivers of London to resurface in Boris plan - Ooooh, good idea…
• I had to get on my bike to put light-jumping Boris in the frame - The journalist who caught boris light-jumping gives his account. Presumably, in order to achieve the journalistic masterpiece, he didn;t jump any lights himself?
• Boris Johnson pledges crackdown on London's illegal taxi touts - Boriswatch has NEVER hailed an illegal taxi. NEVER. Ahem.
• Cycling Mayor Boris 'at risk of terror attack' - Terrible news that Boris may be a sitting target on his bike.
• Wembley and Kingsbury Times - Mayor Boris exclusive interview - Boris gives his first local audio interview since winning as Mayor.
• Boris Johnson: All tanked up and ready to go | Mail Online - GQ's Dylan Jones on Boris's tenure as Motoring Correspondent, and visions of Boris in tank. In London.
• Dave Hill: Can Boris Johnson actually deliver for London? - Dave is not Boris's greatest fan. This article does nothing to dispel that view…
• Lost rivers of London to resurface in Boris plan - Ooooh, good idea…
• I had to get on my bike to put light-jumping Boris in the frame - The journalist who caught boris light-jumping gives his account. Presumably, in order to achieve the journalistic masterpiece, he didn;t jump any lights himself?
• Boris Johnson pledges crackdown on London's illegal taxi touts - Boriswatch has NEVER hailed an illegal taxi. NEVER. Ahem.
• Cycling Mayor Boris 'at risk of terror attack' - Terrible news that Boris may be a sitting target on his bike.
• Wembley and Kingsbury Times - Mayor Boris exclusive interview - Boris gives his first local audio interview since winning as Mayor.
• Boris Johnson: All tanked up and ready to go | Mail Online - GQ's Dylan Jones on Boris's tenure as Motoring Correspondent, and visions of Boris in tank. In London.
• Dave Hill: Can Boris Johnson actually deliver for London? - Dave is not Boris's greatest fan. This article does nothing to dispel that view…

Here are some interesting Boris-related links found in the last few days:

• Lost rivers of London to resurface in Boris plan - Ooooh, good idea…
• I had to get on my bike to put light-jumping Boris in the frame - The journalist who caught boris light-jumping gives his account. Presumably, in order to achieve the journalistic masterpiece, he didn;t jump any lights himself?
• Boris Johnson pledges crackdown on London's illegal taxi touts - Boriswatch has NEVER hailed an illegal taxi. NEVER. Ahem.
• Cycling Mayor Boris 'at risk of terror attack' - Terrible news that Boris may be a sitting target on his bike.
• Wembley and Kingsbury Times - Mayor Boris exclusive interview - Boris gives his first local audio interview since winning as Mayor.
• Boris Johnson: All tanked up and ready to go | Mail Online - GQ's Dylan Jones on Boris's tenure as Motoring Correspondent, and visions of Boris in tank. In London.
• Dave Hill: Can Boris Johnson actually deliver for London? - Dave is not Boris's greatest fan. This article does nothing to dispel that view…
• Lost rivers of London to resurface in Boris plan - Ooooh, good idea…
• I had to get on my bike to put light-jumping Boris in the frame - The journalist who caught boris light-jumping gives his account. Presumably, in order to achieve the journalistic masterpiece, he didn;t jump any lights himself?

Hazel Blears hasn’t half come out fighting over the resignation of Ray Lewis.
“People across the country,” she says, tremulous with excitement at the first non-Labour political downer for months, “will note that after just two months, the new Tory administration in London is in complete disarray. David Cameron has known Ray Lewis since his first day as Tory leader and Boris Johnson appointed him as deputy mayor days into the job.
People will ask themselves: how have they allowed themselves to be embroiled in a mess like this?”
Bless her, and her whiter-than-white cotton socks. People across the country, you say? I doubt many outside London give the foggiest. Disarray, you say? She’s spent months saying that Labour aren’t in disarray despite their myriad problems, and now proclaims the entire Boris administration is in tatters.
The truth is that Labour are plainly happy for the spotlight to be on someone else for the first time in months. They also seems to have forgotten that their defeated candidate, Ken Livingstone, rates Ray Lewis as “imaginative” and regrets not poaching him…

My good friend (and Ken supporter) Mark K was the first to gleefully break it to me this evening by text - Ray Lewis, the originally lauded Deputy Mayor and the man due to spearhead Boris’s campaign against youth crime, has resigned amid allegations of financial irregularities.
If this had happened to Ken then Boriswatch would, frankly, be all over it with bells on. The allegations are serious, no doubt. Ray Lewis, to his credit, has flatly denied the whole thing in the strongest terms.
However, there’s something strange about this whole affair.
Firstly, it seems that mere allegations can warrant you fully guilty before you’ve even managed to form a defence. What if he is found entirely innocent? Will the media move on, Boris’s opposers rubbing their hands in glee while a reputation is ruined?
Secondly, there’s something very fishy about the coordination of these attacks. The BBC report that 3 allegations of financial impropriety have been handed in to them. This first started Boriswatch’s hairs twitching. Who handed them in? How come all these people have collectively remembered these things now, even though the allegations stretch back to the mid-90s?
There’s no doubt that this is some serious bother for our favourite London Mayor. Let’s hope the regrouping is swift, and the team can get back to helping London improve - something those political dark forces don’t currently seem too concerned with…

Here are some interesting Boris-related links found in the last 24 hours:

• Boris Johnson pledges crackdown on London's illegal taxi touts - Boriswatch has NEVER hailed an illegal taxi. NEVER. Ahem.
• Cycling Mayor Boris 'at risk of terror attack' - Terrible news that Boris may be a sitting target on his bike.
• Wembley and Kingsbury Times - Mayor Boris exclusive interview - Boris gives his first local audio interview since winning as Mayor.
• Boris Johnson: All tanked up and ready to go | Mail Online - GQ's Dylan Jones on Boris's tenure as Motoring Correspondent, and visions of Boris in tank. In London.
• Dave Hill: Can Boris Johnson actually deliver for London? - Dave is not Boris's greatest fan. This article does nothing to dispel that view…

Boris has been keeping his head down and getting stuck into the Mayoral job. He has announced his intention to step down from his Henley constituency, giving a nostalgic video interview to the Henley Standard about how much he’s loved the place, and also a final goodbye.
Although he’s become Serious Boris, journalists have noted that his mischievous side is coming back, which is great news for Boriswatchers everywhere! In fact, his speeches are still going down a storm, with a report from the CBI conference, Everyone Loves Boris, being a good indicator of the affection people have for him. The Telegraph has started to publish Boris columns again (although I imagine these will be less controversial than in the past), and they are also serialising Anthony Gimley’s unofficial biography of him. This week’s portion of the book is actually a brand new chapter, devoted to the latest Mayor success. It asks a question we are all starting to whisper: Boris Johnson for Prime Minister? Can you IMAGINE?!

Back in May Boriswatch speculated about the existence of Ken’s secret whisky stash. Well it appears the Whisky went when Ken cleared out his desk, however it seems someone left behind a stash of fine French plonk.

Boris revealed the juicy details to the Daily Telegraph whilst annoucing the return of his much loved weekly (well we all hope weekly) comment column.

Boris has answered the growing question of when or even if he would relinquish his seat at Henley. He has written a letter to the local newspaper saying goodbye to the constituents.
Here is the text:

Dear all, — When I set out on my mission to unseat Ken Livingstone more than nine months ago, there were all kinds of risks.
There was a considerable risk that I would be thrashed by the Great Newt.
And then there was a risk that I would win ­— and therefore lose Henley, just about the loveliest seat in the House of Commons.
At the time, I have to admit, it seemed a pretty small risk. London has 74 parliamentary seats, of which only 19 are in Conservative hands.
Were the people of London really going to go for a Conservative mayor?
Well, they have. I am writing this from ex-Mayor Livingstone’s eyrie in City Hall, and it is time for Henley to find itself a new MP.
It will be a huge wrench for me. I want to thank you all for putting up with me for what has been the seven happiest and most productive years of my professional life.
I think we got some good things done. We have removed the threat to Townlands, the Chilterns Resource Centre is thriving. I can think of at least one local pub that might have gone under had it not been for our campaign.
Even in South Oxfordshire there are people who are in desperate need and who find it difficult to cope with the cost of housing. It was a privilege to help.
Above all, I really did enjoy my surgery. In about 25 per cent of cases I found that we really could make a difference to someone’s life — and sometimes a very big difference. I think that was pretty good going.
In fact, the more I think of it, the more jealous I am of the brilliant new MP you will shortly discover. He or she will inherit the second most heavily wooded constituency in England (fact) and far and away the most attractive.
He or she will represent a town with the second oldest theatre outside London, a distinguished museum, a book festival, and the world’s most glorious annual celebration of pointless aquatic exertion!
He or she will also have the joy of some of the nicest and kindest constituents you could hope to meet — as well as some of the most eccentric. So thanks for having me, folks.
And especial thanks to those doughty few who came to campaign in London over the last few weeks — no doubt at least partly motivated by the hope of getting rid of me!

With best wishes,

BORIS