Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Boris fails to protect London and their Bobbies


Interesting bits and bobs about Boris as he surpasses himself by breaking two manifesto commitments in only one day - Well done Boris!

firstly by resigning today as chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, reportedly through lack of time - but no sign of him giving up his £250,000 second job on the Daily Telegraph....isn't it time he put Londoners first?

secondly by presenting a budget today, that specifically calls for 455 FEWER police for London - despite Boris Johnson promising that tackling crime and MORE police would be his top priority as Mayor. (page 6, 5.16: http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/budget/docs/1011bud-draftjan.pdf) .

Boris Johnson & the Metropolitian Police Authority

I will:
1. Provide strong leadership
• By taking responsibility and chairing the Metropolitan Police Authority

and using my influence to tear up red tape and needless form-filling, so
we can get more police out on the streets. and:

It is important for the Mayor to take a public lead, so I will chair the
< Metropolitan Police Authority. I will take personal responsibility. No offence
will be too trivial to demand my attention. No challenge will be so big that I
shrug my shoulders and pass the buck.

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/04/27/crime_manifesto_complete_final_final.pdf

In his manifesto Boris Johnson pledged to personally chair the Metropolitan Police Authority.

“The Mayor of London has the right to Chair the Metropolitan Police Authority – the body set up to scrutinise and support the work of the Metropolitan Police Service. Boris Johnson will exercise this right so that there is a direct link between the police and the Mayor, so the Mayor is more accountable for what happens in the police.

Chairing the MPA will enable the Mayor to get directly involved with the day-to-day scrutiny of the police and get more officers on the streets.”
Boris Johnson, Crime Manifesto, p 9

Following his first MPA meeting he described it as “vital” that the Mayor “takes responsibility” for work on crime and policing – his “most important priority”.

“I am proud to be chairing my first meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority today. Crime and safety is the biggest issue for Londoners and my most immediate priority as Mayor of London. It is vital that the Mayor takes responsibility for making our capital a safer place, so today is an important element of our work on policing and crime.”
Boris Johnson, Mayoral Press Release, 6 October 2010

“London Mayor Boris Johnson has said he is stepping down as the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA).  It is believed he made the decision because he was finding it difficult to devote enough time to the job. “
BBC News Website, 27 January 2010, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/8482549.stm

Despite the time pressures, Boris Johnson continues to write a weekly column for the Telegraph, for which he is paid £250,000.  Boris Johnson has described the £250,000 he earns each year for writing a newspaper column as “chicken feed”.

David Cameron, the Tory leader, has ordered his shadow cabinet to give up extra work in the run-up to the general election to show their “commitment”.

But Mr Johnson, who earns almost £140,000 as Mayor of London, insisted that it was “wholly reasonable” for him to write newspaper columns because he did them “very fast”. Asked about the newspaper earnings he replied: “It’s chicken feed.” Pressed on whether voters would agree with that description, the Mayor said that he was being “frivolous”.

He told the BBC’s HARDTalk programme: “I happen to write extremely fast. I don’t see why on a Sunday morning I shouldn’t knock off an article, if someone wants to pay me for that article then that’s their lookout and of course I make a substantial donation to charity.
The Times, 14 July 2009

6 comments:

Robert said...

Problem is we are getting use to broken promises we have had so many, so people no longer give a toss. sad world we live in, when we are told it's coming more Conservative and people do not care about the poor or the sick or the disabled, it is a world in which I've lived in and know for the last 13 years.

Anonymous said...

what is harriet actually thinking at this moment about boris?

Anonymous said...

boris should be forced to stand down from one of jobs

MAYOR

John Gray said...

Hi Robert
Welcome back! As usual I don’t think you are quite right about things. While I would agree that Boris cannot be trusted with grown up issues. People are not getting more “conservative”, particularly with regard to equalities. Progressives do need to get their message over better with regard to economics as they have successfully over social issues.

Hi Anon
Agreed!

Anonymous said...

Glad to see Boris went to Davos economy class following his decision to a) set an example and b) after he asked public officials in City Hall to do likewise. On the same plane sat Mandelson in first class scoffing that he would "send down some champagne" for Boris. That's the problem with Labour. We are all socialists - its just that some socialists are more equal than others.

John Gray said...

Hi anon

You shouldn't believe Boris "Daily Torygraph"! Link your stuff in future please!

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/02/boris-hypocrisy-on-economy-class/

Boris’ hypocrisy on (economy) class
Boris Johnson has used his weekly Telegraph column to rail against Peter Mandelson and his entourage’s decision to travel to the World Economic Forum in Davos by business class.

Johnson writes:

“Mandy and his entourage, of course, were flying sharp end; and as we struggled on down the aisle they subjected us to a certain amount of jocular raillery. They would send us some food, they scoffed, and perhaps a glass of champagne.

“In a spirit of glorious self-righteousness, we shouted back over our shoulders that this was the difference between Labour and Tories. Ours, I bragged, was the approach that the recession-battered public wanted to see. We were the ones who were being frugal with taxpayers’ money.”

Was Boris really annoyed about the additional expense the taxpayer would incur? Or the insult that being forced to accept a lower status during his 100 minute flight to Switzerland.

Never mind that Lord Mandelson denied this morning that the plane had first class, is this the same Boris Johnson that spent more than £4,500 of public money on taxis – including one bill for £237, during his first year in office?

Figures released in June 2009 revealed Johnson’s taxi claimed fares of more than £100 between May 2008 and May 2009. The receipts he submitted included one for £237.50 for a 7.5 mile journey across London – at £31 a mile. Other claims included a £99.50 return taxi from City Hall to Elephant and Castle, which are approximately a mile apart. And another expenses claim included a £99.75 cab from the Red Lion pub in Westminster to the City and a £101.83 return cab from City Hall to the Stock Exchange, just 2.4 miles away. There were many more examples of Boris’ taxi habits and how he is “being frugal with taxpayers’ money.” It is also worth noting that Mayor Johnson can travel for free on the tube.

He closes his opinion piece with this statement:

“The servants of the people should travel with the people.”

Quite.