Every week, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg settles down for his phone-in show on London radio station LBC. It’s a chance for Londoners to ask the Deputy Prime Minister questions, and so one of the capital’s more, er, famous residents decided to get in on the act this week.
The Mayor of London posed as a listener – Boris from Islington – and ambushed the Deputy PM’s show with a recorded message. The BBC reports that Bozza said: “Hi Nick, it’s Boris here from Islington. When are you going to get all those government ministers out of their posh limos and onto public transport like everybody else?
“And how can we possibly expect government to vote for increases in infrastructure spending which we need in this city, and upgrading the Tube which we all need, when they sit in their chauffeur-driven limousines paid for by the taxpayer.”
He signed off with the message: “Nick – get them out of their limos. Boris, over and out.”
Clegg responded by claiming that the government had cut the ministerial car bill inherited by the previous Labour government “I think by about 70%”, which he described as “a big step in the right direction”. He said ministers did not use cars all the time, adding that he was travelling to Sheffield later by train. [Does he adopt the Government policy of sitting in first class but not paying it? – OsborneWatch]
Talk show host Nick Ferrari then revealed the Mayor would be on his show the following week, to which Mr Clegg said: “Tell him to get out of his limo and get the infrastructure projects that we’re offering, moving.”