Will Boris oust Dave?

Having spent the last few weeks charging around all over the UK, I am now paying for it by enforced bedrest due to gammy leg/back. The only benefit being that I have been more able than usual to catch up with blogs and tweets. This tweet from Charlie Whelan caught my eye - My pal Graham Sharpe from William Hill contacts me again. Money piling on to Boris to replace 'vulnerable' Cam. Hague still favourite.

Feeling Sorry for Bojo

OK, there goes me street cred (if I ever had any, tho I did get asked by our illustrious leader the other day if I worried about such things at my age!).......but I found myself feeling a little sorry for Boris today. This, it has to be said, having previously posted that the best outcome of a Boris win would be that it would probably have the unintended consequence of undermining the notion that the Tories could govern. I suppose my unexpected feelings spring from an appreciation of how being well meaning can sometimes end one up in the soup.

Boris's decision to appoint Ray Lewis as one of his deputies I saw at the time as a sound move and if nothing else I was delighted that he had recognised that a youth worker rather than a police officer could offer more in the fight against youth crime. So far from crowing I am rather disappointed that he hasn't had an opportunity to even begin to get to grips with a serious problem that is destroying lives on almost a daily basis. This is not to condone any wrong doing if it is proved, or to excuse Boris for his lack of judgement, but to put what has happened (in which as far as I know nobody died), in the context of the far more serious problem in which many young people are dying and families (of victims and perpetrators) are being devastated. Do we want to take the risk of involving those who may have answers but don't tick all the boxes, or maintain the status quo with those who tick all the boxes but never get beyond the questions? This morning we have heard the news that Martin McGuinness and Lord Alderdice are going to Iraq to try and help them move forward in building a peaceful and cohesive future for that country. I don't hear anyone disqualifying Martin McGuinness from that vital task because of his past? I know I am venturing into dangerous waters, we expect our public servants to be beyond reproach, but sometimes they don't have the answers for that very reason. Frankly if we want to resolve any problem we surely have to involve those who understand, are affected by, or part of the problem. Anything less will lead us back into the vicious circle, the blind allies, the mealymouthed words that have failed to even come close to changing things.

So, the wheels may be falling off early in the Boris Mayoralty. Frankly he is a colourful character but has not to me demonstrated any of the attributes necessary in a leader. As I observed on Tuesday, he appears to spend no time at all preparing for anything and flies by the seat of his pants. He talks the talk but I fear we will discover he is incapable of walking the walk. He makes the perfect maverick MP, entertaining writer, Have I Got News for You chair.............but Mayor of one of the greatest cities on Earth? Er.........don't think so. He may be well meaning, which is why I find myself in this peculiar place of feeling sorry for him this morning - but as the saying goes the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Boris - Shining with Pride?

Last night I went with Yas to the Pride reception at City Hall. It was a lovely evening with good company, just a pity about Boris really. Now he clearly plays on his bumbling image, but frankly there are times when I think it is plain ignorant and disrespectful - last night was one of them. Friends of mine who attended the LGBT Mayoral hustings told me that he had apparently said something like "yes.....L...G...B....T er yes that's right isn't it? Er yes I'm all in favour of it!" Now he has had a little time since then to become a tad more well informed. Last night demonstrated that he hadn't, it was cringemakingly awful, patronising and frankly insulting to the extent that he even engendered some booing. There was no evidence that he had really prepared for the event (know your audience), especially when he started talking about the Pink List, then kept asking the signer next to him if it was the Pink List, if that what it was called etc. Apparently David Cameron thinks he will "shine" on Saturday, hmmmm, we will see!

Good to see Simon Hughes flying the Lib Dem flag, though he was clever enough to arrive after Boris had left!

Flippin Ada..........It's Boris!

I didn't get a vote today, though as someone who spends most of her working life there, I do have a bit of an interest in what happens in London. I worry about what will happen to London Transport since that will have an impact on my life, but I worry more about what will happen to those who are marginalised in London.

Boris has clearly demonstrated his credentials, racist, classist (is there such a thing?!), homophobic. Apparently at the LGBT hustings he said ....L..G..B..T is it? Yes yes I am all in favour of it! Right, this is the man who greeted civil partnerships by suggesting that next we would be supporting the union of 3 men and a dog. Now don't get me wrong. He is a character, I enjoy reading him, but he has NONE of the qualities necessary to run anything, let alone a city like London!

So, fasten your seatbelts.............remember, he will also be in charge in the run up to the Olympics......what was that about the last one to leave switching off the lights?

The Candidate Trap ....... London

Later today we will hear how Mr. P has done in his battle with Messrs L and J. No doubt this will be followed by some picking over the bones of what we could or couldn't have done better. I trust that my elders and betters will learn some lessons.

My initial thoughts are as follows........firstly, can we please start thinking about a candidate for next time now, instead of scrabbling around at the last minute? We do it in target parliamentary seats, why not London? With a prospective candidate in post, a London Spokesperson could spend the next term building support, challenging the incumbent, developing workable and robust policies.

Secondly, can we have a candidate who has a commitment to and an understanding of, our party? Brian was a reasonably good candidate, extremely good on crime, but I was rather disappointed with some of his attitudes, the "I am not a politician" mantra, subtext "politicians are dreadful people". If you are not a politician what are you doing standing for a political position? Also his comment that he "would not toe the party line" er........what's the point of being in a party then, why didn't he stand as an independent? Now that is not to say that there may not be occasions where he disagrees fundamentally with a position and takes a stand, but stating it as a kind of badge of honour demonstrates to me his lack of understanding, as did apparently making up policy on the hoof, particularly policy that would have an impact on areas outside London, without consultation. It was then left to Simon Hughes to hint about second preferences, whilst Brian refused to say. Given the potentially enormous influence second preferences will have, frankly whatever my doubts about another Ken term, a Boris term is truly terrifying! All of this may just be down to his lack of experience and involvement in the party, but as a party should we not take some responsibility for ensuring that our candidates are fully trained, briefed and properly advised?

Thirdly, can we do some thinking about how we ensure the electorate understand voting systems? Given that some 38% of people have said that they would vote for us if they thought their vote would count, there are many who clearly haven't understood that message, otherwise our first preferences would surely be far higher?

Other ideas, or is it just me that thinks we need to learn some lessons here?