No Ray of Sunshine
Chief Boriswatcher | July 4, 2008
My good friend (and Ken supporter) Mark K was the first to gleefully break it to me this evening by text - Ray Lewis, the originally lauded Deputy Mayor and the man due to spearhead Boris’s campaign against youth crime, has resigned amid allegations of financial irregularities.
If this had happened to Ken then Boriswatch would, frankly, be all over it with bells on. The allegations are serious, no doubt. Ray Lewis, to his credit, has flatly denied the whole thing in the strongest terms.
However, there’s something strange about this whole affair.
Firstly, it seems that mere allegations can warrant you fully guilty before you’ve even managed to form a defence. What if he is found entirely innocent? Will the media move on, Boris’s opposers rubbing their hands in glee while a reputation is ruined?
Secondly, there’s something very fishy about the coordination of these attacks. The BBC report that 3 allegations of financial impropriety have been handed in to them. This first started Boriswatch’s hairs twitching. Who handed them in? How come all these people have collectively remembered these things now, even though the allegations stretch back to the mid-90s?
There’s no doubt that this is some serious bother for our favourite London Mayor. Let’s hope the regrouping is swift, and the team can get back to helping London improve - something those political dark forces don’t currently seem too concerned with…
Probably best to say first off that I am proud
Ben Craggs | July 4, 2008Probably best to say first off that I am proud to be a socialist and Ken was slightly too far to the right of me to be my first choice. That said, I am concerned by the way this has been approached -there certainly seems to be something unpleasant about the way the media jumped on this story, whether it is politically motivated or not they have jumped on the first opportunity to discredit this mayoralty and successfully hounded out ?the only? (correct me if I am wrong) black member or Boris’ team.
Shame
I'm thinking there may be a fix in, but not
raincoaster | July 4, 2008I’m thinking there may be a fix in, but not that one.
Tell me, O Englanders, are the two who got targeted people who’ve worked with Boris in the past? Or are they part of the Tory machine that was parachuted in to get Boris elected? My understanding is that the first idjut was indeed part of the machine, but Lewis I don’t know about.
Would be a nasty, yet very effective way of consolidating control of the mayor’s office, I’m thinking, leaking info on your rivals that you’d be in a very good position to know…because you screened the applications.
I don’t know too much about Lewis, but he did impress me as a man with a brain in his head and a heart that was at least as big. The Guardian is taking credit for this, but now they’re muted in their gloating, reporting that the one instance of financial impropriety they could find dated back to 1997 and was made right by Lewis years ago, with apologies.
Why oh why did Boris succumb to David Camerons political
Judi.Best | July 5, 2008Why oh why did Boris succumb to David Camerons political correctness in sacking James McGrath? A good man and a comment which is the sort of comment anyone in England [apart from the daft political correct faction who are looking for anything to be upset about ] could have made. Where has free speech gone to in a country that was famous for it and which was in years past lauded as a reason for people wishing to come here. Bring him back and add some sense to the country.
I would imagine that the HR member of staff, who
Pat Byrne | July 5, 2008I would imagine that the HR member of staff, who carried out the employment checks on Ray Lewis, was the same member of the HR team engaged by Ken Livingstone.
A good early lesson for Boris - some things are too important to delegate.
Always apply the “Mirror Test”; If this goes wrong what’s it going to look like on the front page of the Daily Mirror?
Firstly, it seems that mere allegations can warrant you fully
Who voted Boris? | July 7, 2008Firstly, it seems that mere allegations can warrant you fully guilty before you’ve even managed to form a defence. What if he is found entirely innocent?
Who voted Boris: There seems to be some real vitriol there.
Chief Boriswatcher | July 7, 2008Who voted Boris:
There seems to be some real vitriol there. To answer - Lee Jasper was not mentioned here, as even Boriswatch thought his treatment was a little harsh.
And we’d quite like an example of how Boris won through “bad politics”…
Bad Politics:- having your mates at extremely right wing
Who voted Boris? | July 9, 2008Bad Politics:- having your mates at extremely right wing Newspapers smear your opponent and endlessly sing your praises. Bad Politics:- Being kept of a PR leash for the entire election because your Party are afraid you might be yourself.
He promised transparency and the cut the time the mayor answer the press questions. He promised an end Cronyism and then employed his uni mate. There are a dozen reasons to be angry at Boris.
I think its worth those who voted Boris to look in thier hearts and ask themselves whether Boris would have won without the Evening Standards campaign. It doesn’t sound like good politics to me.