Boris Watch

[dc]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> Plus I don't think any of this is enshrined in law is it[?]

Only since 1962 apparently: LRT Byelaws - No 4 is the booze one

So it's not new - just enforcement of a law that is already in place.

Can't say I've ever thought that I'd give the tube or buses a miss because they're always full of drunks - except during the Christmas season of course when I just might have indulged in the odd sherbet myself.

I find people eating malodorous food more of a problem than people drinking but there doesn't seem to be a byelaw to cover that - although 6.2, 6.4, 6.7 and 6.8 between them might just cover it.

[Ant]

At last! Hard facts: http://borisjohnsonfacts.com/

[blinder999]

Ant Wrote:

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> At last! Hard facts: http://borisjohnsonfacts.com/

is this Ken Livingstone's new online newspaper? He'll need to improve his html skills to compete with thisislondon.co.uk

[blinder999]

though the quality of the journalism is comparable

[bawdy-nan]

yikes - boris has brought in the ex editor of the sunday telegraph to "audit" the London Development Agency.

Maybe there's a role here for Dulwich Mum.

Could've been worse I suppose.

Perhaps he'll get the Daily Mail to reconfigure Ken's strategies on race and equality...

[Ted Max]

Miss Wheatcroft said: "It is crucial to understand how public money has been wasted or misspent in the past so that we can make sure that it doesn't happen again."

So no pre-judgement there, then. Patience is very ambitious politically (although the job she really wants is to be editor of The Times) and exactly the sort of power-suit wearing "ice maiden" that gives the likes of Boris the raging horn.

Will her audit team look into the LDA's plans (backed "Zone 5" Bromley Council) to flog off bits of Crystal Palace Park to leisure and property developers, do you think? Or is a conflict of interest only evident if it's not your kind who stand to benefit?

[Brendan]

Do you think there is a cynical sub editor or journalist at work there or were they really completely oblivious to the irony of this statement?

?Boris Johnson vowed to root out corruption, cronyism and waste as he launched plans to "clean up" the way London is governed.?

The article is about him hiring someone who can easily be described as one of his cronies.

[Sandperson]

More cronyism to clean up? As they were at Oxford together.

Cronyism!

[Brendan]

Perhaps Wheatcroft?s first order of business will be to sack Guto Harri.

[Ted Max]

Second and third will be to order herself some new shoes and retain a chauffeur.

[HonaloochieB]

I suggest from now on that we use a code in order to express our approval or disapproval concerning our mayor.

During his his time in office he will inevitably make decisions that we disagree with.

When it's something we like refer to him as - 'Magic' Johnson.

When it's something we don't like refer to him as - Boris Gump.

Just a suggestion.

[bawdy-nan]

Boris is apparently likely to appoint Munira Mirza as "cultural adviser".

She's described as a "glamourous young Muslim woman" and she's heavily associated with Claire Fox and the Institute of Ideas / spikedonline. (The online phoenix risen from the ashes of LM).

They're a weird bunch (dodgy mc-dodge)- libertarian but ex Marxist. Generally contrarian and self styled promoters of the "enlightenment" - they still deny there's a global warming problem and insist science is the way forward.

They run "debating" competitions for schoolchildren and debates for grown ups on science and ethics sponsored by people like Pfizer and Monsanto.

She says that the problem of racism is overstated in this country.

Personally I thinks its shockingly bad news.

Munira Mirza, who argues that racism in the UK is greatly exaggerated, is to serve as a cultural adviser to the mayor.

[HonaloochieB]

I don't know anything about her, but who else might be best placed to give an opinion about the state of racism than a Muslim woman? She has suggested that policy decisions that are based on multi-culturalism may not be a good thing. It's apoint of view that's up for debate. Science as a way forward? I can't argue with that.As far as I'm aware there is still some arguement as to whether there's global warming (man-made) or climate change (natural) unless you decide to take it as an article of faith.

Encouraging schoolkids to engage in debate with Pfizer and Monsanto? Not such a bad thing, any kids I know would be prepared to put awkward questions, awkwardly. I can't see why it's 'shockingly bad news'

Is she just the 'wrong' sort of Muslim woman for your taste?

[bawdy-nan]

I totally distrust the cabal involved in institute of ideas / spiked / manifesto club / culture wars etc.

I certainly find their challenge to the received ideas useful and contrarians are good for a laugh but their idea of a debate often involves filling a panel with people whose views already align and intimating that there is a range of views around the table.

The debating competition for school children is carefully structured to direct lines of argument and I'm suspicious of them already so that doesn't sit well with me.

My statements about mm and her associates weren't supposed to be a devastating argument against her and her chums. I was just trying to give a quick sketch for people who may not have come across them before. I've come across them a lot and I don't like them one bit.

I'm interested to see how they'll reconcile their association with Bojo. They published an article recently lamenting his move away from pure libertarianism.

Sourcewatch.org is illuminating - in a conspiracy theory stylee - on this.

Its "shockingly bad news" in my opnion, given what I know of that gang and given my own feelings about them. So, of course, its an overstatement on my part!

[david_carnell]

In line with HonaloochieB's suggestion:

Boris Gump - Boris Johnson drops Ken Livingstone's lawsuit against water plant

Magic Johnson - Mayor to discuss Oyster card plans - although Ken was already doing this but never let it be said if nothing but fair and impartial!

Hahaha.

Edit: Magic Johnson strikes again: Mayor of London Boris Johnson announces the start of a programme to

deliver a manifesto commitment to plant 10,000 new trees across the capital.

[tommy]

Will my requests for a tree outside my house now be granted ? I wonder...

[dc]

david_carnell Wrote:

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> Magic Johnson - Mayor to discuss Oyster card plans

> - although Ken was already doing this but never

> let it be said if nothing but fair and impartial!

Given that this application - Oyster validation machines at North Dulwich Station - was received by Southwark on 2 April, I don't think we can chalk this up as a plus for Boris.

[EKB2]

My hopes of substantive improvements to quality of life in London evaporated long before Boris as mayor could even be joked about, and definitely well before this afternoon when the pollution levels made me feel ill - again. So I was heartened by the news that not everyone has been reduced to apathy (or even desperate humour). Some Oxford citizens (among others) have taken to anarchist tactics to assert their continuing interest in civic engagement - painting ED's roads in lovely colours anyone? http://www.wormworks.com/roadwitch/index.html

[dc]

david_carnell Wrote:

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> Magic Johnson strikes again: Mayor of London Boris Johnson

> announces the start of a programme to deliver a manifesto

> commitment to plant 10,000 new trees across the capital.

This one's a bit odd too. ?4m to deliver 10,000 trees over 4 years at ?400 per tree? Sounds impressive eh?

Well.... 425,000 new trees have now been planted throughout London since the start of Trees for

Cities? ?Million Trees Campaign?, which was launched in June 2002 - ie roughly 71,000 trees per year.

We were apparently on target to plant 1 million new trees by 2012. So, whilst an extra 2,500 per year is of course welcome, it's only 1.7% of the total that were due to be planted anyway between now and 2012.

All details here in a Press Release dated 18 April 2008: London's Million Trees Campaign

[snoozequeen1]

bawdy-nan Wrote:

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> They run "debating" competitions for

> schoolchildren and debates for grown ups on

> science and ethics sponsored by people like Pfizer

> and Monsanto.

>

For anyone who eats food, or who has children or grandchildren who are planning to eat food in the future..if you only watch one film/read one book this year, watch/read this:

The documentary, Le Monde Selon Monsanto, by Marie Monique Robin, available to download from Arte (for PC only, not Mac); the book is currently only in French, English version available Jan 2009.

http://blogs.arte.tv/LemondeselonMonsanto

[James]

Anyone suspect this trees thing has a whiff of Zac Goldsmith about it? Everything Boris has done so far is totally out of character and looks like a sort of party election broadcast for Cameron's New Conservatives put together by people behind the scenes. Am waiting for him to slip up... it can't be long now.

[bawdy-nan]

More on Bojo's odd dalliance with the Revolutionary Communist Party ...

[bignumber5]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7395741.stm

Oyster on actual trains! Got to say I put this as the first mark in the Boris-Achievements column (assuming it actually happens)

[dc]

bignumber5 Wrote:

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> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7395741.stm

>

> Oyster on actual trains! Got to say I put this as the first mark

> in the Boris-Achievements column (assuming it actually happens)

Except that, as I pointed out above, this has nothing to do with Boris because Ken had virtually sorted it already:

Given that this application - Oyster validation machines at North Dulwich Station - was received by Southwark on 2 April, I don't think we can chalk this up as a plus for Boris.

Let's not get carried away folks!

[bawdy-nan]

Even if Boris manages to take up the oyster on trains baton and actually get it working I'll be delighted.

Edit: ER, I mean, even if Boris is only taking up Ken's baton ...!.... I'll be thrilled to be able to use oyster on the trains.