No, we are not sure quite why Rebecca Front – best known for playing the hapless minister Nicola Murray in the BBC comedy The Thick Of It – has been out interviewing Boris either.
Still, when meeting the Mayor this week, she did manage to capture this excellent Thick of It-esque shot of Bozza with a shop which couldn’t describe the Mayor’s barnet more appropriately….
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Considering his job is entirely London based these days, the Mayor doesn’t get out and about in the rest of the UK much.
However, as part of the Conservatives’ General Election campaign, Bozza has been in Leeds this week,where he wandered about a shopping centre and pestered diners in a Nando’s restaurant by handing out Tory leaflets [I bet they tasted better than anything you get at Nandos - Boriswatch Ed]
As well as supporting the party’s local campaign, Boris also claimed that he was a Yorkshireman by descent. Apparently, his Turkish great-grandfather’s mother in law, Granny Johnson, was from somewhere in Yorkshire (although, to be fair, that’s a bit like us at Boriswatch HQ claiming we’re from Norfolk just because we had a bit of English mustard on a gammon steak, once.)
Speaking later, BoJo outlined his party’s determination to unseat the Schools Secretary Ed Balls and win the newly formed Morley and Outwood constituency. In a sentence so littered with double entendre it was deemed too rude for a Carry On film, the Mayor said, “”If we can winkle Balls out, then that would be great.”
On a day when David Cameron claimed that the Conservative Party should be “reclaiming the flag from the BNP and saying the flag belongs to the English people, all of them”, Boris outflanked his Tory colleagues by suggesting that St George’s Day could become a Bank Holiday.
Speaking at St George’s Day celebrations at historic Leadenhall Market in the City of London, Bozza said: “We are looking at it. But there are, of course, economic implications.�
In another sign that the Conservatives right arm doesn’t know what the left one is doing, the Mayor’s comments came the day after the Tories admitted they had no plans for a new bank holiday after Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Rosindell bet £100 on April 23 becoming an official day off next year.
Bozza and Cameron celebrated the patron saints day together, with both men giving passionate speeches to an enthusiastic crowd. In a stirring, patriotic moment, Boris ended his rousing St George’s Day address with the rallying call “Cry God for England, custard and St George”….
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We, at Boriswatch HQ, do like reading pointless research undertaken by actual professional University people, presumably thanks to huge grants from business.
The latest ridiculous but brilliant survey to come out of Edinburgh University has looked at a number of celebrity postings on Twitter, to see how happy the Tweeters are.
Apparently, Shaquille O’Neal (he is a basketball person, apparently) is the happiest Tweeter, whilst Snoop Dogg (he is a dog, apparently) is the least happy.
This was all done completely scientifically by using a computer programme to analyse word patterns to pinpoint underlying emotions and work out their relative happiness.
Lance Armstrong and Jonathan Ross make up the other gleeful Tweeters, whilst our own Boris was found to be one of the grumpiest. This seems a little harsh, especially as Bozza gave a very chirpy ‘Happy Birthday’ message to Her Majesty on Twitter only this week.
Spokesman Ed Cochrane, said: “We hope this type of analysis will shed light on the emotions involved in social situations, helping to shape policy for the better.”
“I can’t believe I get paid to come up with this stuff”, he didn’t add.
Despite the fact that Nick Clegg is suddenly more popular than fish and chips, we’ve found a man who isn’t Cleggy’s biggest fan.
Boris, in his Daily Telegraph column, was less than complimentary about either Clegg or his party. There are no punches pulled here….
“I am certain that the Tories will win, and that the current fantasy of a Liberal Democrat resurgence is the biggest load of media-driven nonsense since the funeral of Diana.
“What has happened to us all, when serious papers can start raving about “Prime Minister Clegg”? Has someone put something in the water supply? Has some sulphur yellow cloud descended imperceptibly from Iceland and addled our brains? These are Lib Dems we are talking about! They say anything to anyone. They are not so much two-faced as positively polycephalous….”
The Tories have today released this video of Bozza giving a pep talk to CCHQ staff ahead of the Election on May 6th. Self-deprecating as ever, Bozza bemoans the fact that in 22 days he’ll no longer be the most powerful Tory in the land….
"...don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight....."
After his performance at the first televised leader’s debate, the Conservatives have been forced to sit up and take note that Nick Clegg might actually be a serious threat to their chances in this General Election.
The Tory party strategy is, apparently, to expose some of the more ‘eccentric’ policies in the Liberal Democrat manifesto, including Clegg’s desire for an amnesty for illegal immigrants.
However, before they get too focused on attacking that policy, they should perhaps consider that it is also a suggestion that has been made by one Mr Boris Johnson.
In an interview with Channel 4 News in November 2008, Bozza said: “In principle these people have done the wrong thing: they’ve broken the law. In principle they should all be taken and sent back to their place of origin, that’s the right thing to do .. (but) unfortunately it is just not going to happen.
“How do you cope with people who have been here a long time, the huge numbers of people living here below the line, below the radar, not entering the economy, not able to play a full part in society?
“Should we have a mass programme of expulsions, because that hasn’t worked: it’s legally incredibly difficult, (and) it’s expensive for the state, or should we see if we can develop a sensible system of earned amnesty, so after a substantial period of time – and I would say more than five years – you can, in principle demonstrate your commitment to this society and to this economy. And you can earn your right to stay here.”
Clearly, Clegg’s people are aware of this, and a Lib Dem spokesman said this weekend. “In their desperation to turn round their campaign the Conservatives now appear to have started attacking their own leading politicians”.
"Help! I'm being kidnapped by these two men in suits."
More proof (if it were needed) this week that David Cameron is just a *little* bit frightened of Boris.
In a BBC radio interview this week, Cameron said of Johnson: “He’s an ambitious man. He has a lot of talent. I’m sure London is an enormous challenge. I’m sure that he will want to stand for re-election and, if he does, I will do everything I can to help him whatever, role I’m in.”
Hmm. Cameron encouraging BoJo to stand for another term as Mayor…which would presumably keep him out of Westminster politics and mean he wouldn’t be a threat to Cameron’s leadership until at least 2016. Clever.
A spokesman for the mayor said: “It is not a decision for David, it is a decision for Boris whether he stands again … Boris has implied he will almost certainly stand, but he will just not confirm that at this point.”
Surely, Bozza is waiting for the outcome of the General Election on May 6th? If Cameron sweeps to power with a decent majority, he can forget about the Conservative party leadership and he may as well go for another term as Mayor. If Cameron fails to win, however, the Tories may well then be looking for a new leader and who better than the London Mayor himself?
We at Boriswatch HQ aren’t in the slightest bit surprised that Bozza hasn’t committed to a second term as Mayor yet – why do so when there might be a much bigger job available on May 7th?
With all the General Election brouhaha dominating the headlines, it is sometimes easy to forget that it actually has very little to do with Boris, this time around.
The Mayor is in situ until 2012 and doesn’t have a Westminster seat to fight. However, as one of the Conservative Party’s most recognisable figures, is it about time for Bozza to step in and start inspiring the British electorate to vote Tory?
Charles Moore, the Daily Telegraph journalist, certainly thinks so, especially amongst youth voters. Moore spoke to a group of students about the forthcoming General Election, and reported this: “My last question was to ask each student to name (unprompted) any current politician he/she admired. One mentioned Alistair Darling, one Vince Cable and a third Ed Balls (I must admit that I gasped). But the favourite by miles was Boris Johnson.”
Sarah Sands in the London Evening Standard agrees. BoJo “…..is the missing x-factor of the election. Cameron looks to William Hague for class balance and reliability. But he ignores the blond bombshell at his peril.”
From Boris-Johnson.com
