Ray Lewis’ Hard Lesson in Politics

Ray Lewis, former Deputy Mayor

So Ray Lewis has resigned. His resignation statement spoke of the “drip drip” of “unfounded allegations”. Sorry Ray, that’s politics. However, I genuinely hope he is able to continue his good work with young people outside the Mayor’s Office.

No doubt the Labour opposition at City Hall are crowing, but they should be aware that they are still in the early days of opposition, where it is easy to assume that such “victories” might seem to herald the beginning of the end, and that a contrite electorate will shuffle back to the fold thoroughly ashamed of themselves for having doubted you.

They should remember, though, that the Bernie Ecclestone affair barely put a dent in Tony Blair’s fortunes so early in his premiership, and so it is with Boris (not that one could compare the substance of the two episodes). Interesting though it is that Labour should be attacking Boris for opting for a cabinet style of government in London, the Mayor should take a lesson from this episode, including that of carrying out proper vetting of potential team members, and come out of it stronger. As it is, Boris was decisive but fair in his reaction to the first “drips” of allegations – it seems he had already learnt from the James McGrath affair, where many thought he had over-reacted.

In four years time, what will the electorate remember: the Ray Lewis episode, or the eight years of Livingstone that Boris has spent four years’ putting right?

Final Mayoral Thoughts

OK, time to move on, but it has been interesting browsing the lefty blogs and particularly the comment sections on why Ken lost, and while we’re on the subject, why the Lib Dems did so appallingly too. For instance on Michael White’s blog, elsewhere in the Grauniad and at Harry’s Place among others.

There are a few themes emerging:

1) “The Evening Standard was against Ken. ’snot fair” Well, the ES certainly helped, but don’t shoot the messenger just because he’s found a message to bring. In any case, I don’t remember the Left complaining when the ES was backing Ken.
2) “It was all part of the national swing.” Not as big a factor as they might think. Ken might have been a Labour mayor – for a few years anyway – but he is and always has been Ken first and foremost. The presidential environment of the London Mayor has ensured that the election would always be primarily about him and his record.
3) From the LibDems: “we got squeezed by the two main parties”. Oh please, change the record. You’ve had over twenty years, through both unpopular Conservative and Labour governments – haven’t you got the message yet?
4) Again from the yellow corner: “Paddick was uninspiring”. They’re not wrong – I watched some of those debates. How about the two classic moments on ITV: first was when Alistair Stewart asked if Paddick would tell borough police commanders what to do. Paddick’s response? “Yes. No, I mean….”. Then, at the end of the debate, the coup de grace … Alistair Stewart: “Who would you suggest your supporters put as their second preference vote?” Paddick: “” - that’s five whole seconds of silence … and now we know why (scroll down to 6.34) it was the far Left, er, Left List (this year’s name for the Socialist Workers Party or something).
5) “How can the outer boroughs do this? They don’t use Oysters or the Tube, what gives them the right?” Errr, perhaps the fact that we have to pay for the Tube, and the Zone 1 stuff, yet see little in return. Especially in the south, where we don’t even get the Tube*

And then amongst all that was the more realistic view from some former Livingstone supporters, which show just how he lost the backing of some core voters. Ken’s support for al-Qaradawi reflects the dilemma that others on the Left seem to be facing now – how to embrace multiculturalism but without pardoning the very politically un-correct attitudes of some of those cultures.

* and, some may ask, why would we want it, when you can already get from Bromley South to Central London non stop in 20 minutes, and with a view out of the window!

Just a Few Hours To Go

Judging by the current turnout estimates, if Boris has done it, it’ll be clearly on the back of a massive backlash from the Outer London boroughs. You know Ken – the sort of boroughs, like Bexley and Bromley that you visited less times than you did your friends in South America and Cuba. The sort of boroughs your minions have trouble locating on a map. The sort of boroughs that have bankrolled the Zone 1-centric plans, filled your cronies pockets and paid for the propagandising, smear campaigns and of course “The Londoner”.

As the few unfortunates who have already heard me speak on the subject will know, there’s only one piece of paper I’m interested in seeing with Livingstone’s name on – his P45.

More Boris

Anyone would think he was running for election or something.

“The first 100 days of a Conservative Mayor” featured a panel including Bob Neill as Shadow Minister for London and Merrick Cockell of London Councils.

Says Boris, on Housing: rather than housebuilding targets, he is looking for a more “feng shui”(!) relationship with the London Boroughs, working with councils to produce affordable housing relevant to their local areas, rather than the civil war that Livingstone has been waging with Town Halls for the last seven years. On transport, possibly restructuring some of the 232 £100,000+ pa jobs in Transport for London and using the money to put (probably rather more and 232) conductors back on buses. Merrick Cockell joined in with a suggestion that some of the 1,500 transport PCSOs actually do some patrolling on buses instead of dishing out penalty notices to vehicles on Red Routes.

Meanwhile, has anyone called a General Election yet?

P.S. I see Dizzy and Croydonian, two rows in front of yours truly, have already between them covered the meeting in more detail. Must look into one of those Blackberry thingys.

Boris Is A Tool

So said the man himself. Yes, it was hot in the basement of the Imperial at the London Councils fringe and yes, it was after all true Conservatives had previously packed out the Nelson Room at the Hilton for the Free Society event and drunk the place dry of champagne.

Boris, speaking off the cuff as he does best, compared himself to one of those stone-in-hoof removal tool thingies that one finds on Swiss Army knives. ”I will be the tool that removes the pebble of King Newt from City Hall”, quoth the golden mop-top.

Go Boris!

Conference Day 1

The first rule for organising a conference fringe event is to ensure that the magic word “refreshments” is prominent in any promotional material. Otherwise, you’ve got your work cut out ensuring a big turnout without a big name.

So following young William’s morning conference opener, it was on to the National Lottery fringe event this lunchtime and I can report that many members were keen to ensure that Lottery funds were going to a good cause. Away from the hot buffet, though, there was some interest in the Lottery itself, and a vote on a range of case studies of possible good causes revealed just how low the party had come - when the meeting came up with the same result as Lib Dems had at the same event two weeks earlier. (Even though I voted for the one that Labour delegates had chosen.)

[Serious policy comment] Some do get worked up about Lottery money going into areas that should be funded by the taxpayer. Frankly I reckon that as no-one is forced to buy the tickets, then Lottery funding is nearly always preferable to milking the taxpayer.[/enough already]

Into the main hall for the first time, squeezed into the temporary auditorium style seating (rather than the old single level arrangement), and the DVT held off for long enough to take in Lord Heseltine and more. Hezza’s baggage ensures that he could deliver the combined oratory quality of Churchill, JFK and the Lord Jesus himself, and still he wouldn’t have mustered much more of a standing ovation than the handful of members who stood at the end of his workmanlike speech today. I was not one of them.

Never mind, Tarzan, we had Big Eric Pickles to brighten things up (full marks for the soundbite “this Government’s idea of freedom for local councils is to say “jump” and then leave them to decide how high”, which will have pressed councillors’ buttons). Following that, we had Boris, Dave, Arnie and finally Mayor Bloomberg of New York giving a masterclass in fiscal conservatism.

Boris may not be the most polished of formal speakers, but he hardly needs to be – his strengths lie in his other qualities. If the activity level of Livingstone’s astro-turfers and smear-merchants is anything to go by, he has them rattled already.

And finally for now…

Conference tip #1
When Dizzy is already miffed about the whole pass thing, don’t add to his stress levels by sitting him in front of a crooner in the Hilton bar.

Conference tip #2
Free chocolate is available at the Conservative MEPs’ and the Electoral Commission stands.

Conference tip #3
Chocolate tends to mess up a laptop keyboard somewhat.

Who’d Have Thought It?

A Morning With Boris (continued)

His first stop off was at a small green field site next to The Drift in Keston, where a planning application to shoe-horn 74(!) new houses had been recently rejected by an appeal inspector (yay!), highlighting the pressure the Green Belt is under from both Livingstone’s and the Government’s unrealistic housebuilding targets. (Bromley has more green belt than any other borough.)

Then on to Hayes and Coney Hall ward (aka God’s Own Country) for a quick walkabout in Station Approach. Dear old Boris still introduces himself to everyone, even though the response is often “I know you! No, I’ve met you before” “You may have seen me on the telly”. “No, I’ve definitely met you somewhere before”.

Anyway, a useful warm-up for the South-East London hustings tonight. (Sadly, I’ll be in Croydon on Council business, but I’m sure we can rely on James to fill us in.)

Cross-posted on SELblog.

A Morning With Boris

Yes, that’s Boris near a pair of hairdressers’ scissors. It does happen!

From his visit to Bromley this morning. More to follow…

(Thanks to the girls at Master Cutters in Hayes.)

Cross-posted on SELblog.