Poor Boris

Group51 Thu Jul 03, 2008 at 07:09:50 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7488006.stm



Who'd have thought it?  Allegations of corruption in a Cameronian Tory administration!  

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Poor Boris | 14 comments (14 topical)

Re: Poor Boris (#1)

by swatantra on Thu Jul 03, 2008 at 08:44:05 PM GMT

'... uneasy lies the head that wears the crown'.
Johnson is learning that its not so easy ruling, and picking impeccable staff. Johnson is himself a flawed character and has surrounded himself with some disreputable stooges.


Re: Poor Boris (#6)

by aneurin on Fri Jul 04, 2008 at 11:49:51 AM GMT

Sadly there is no actual allegation of corruption within Boris's administration, only an allegation that one of his chosen deputy mayors, that is Ray Lewis, might have engaged in "financial misconduct" back sometime before 1999 when he was a minister in the Church of England. Which I imagine is the distinction that can be made with the case of Lee Jasper, where the allegations of "financial misconduct" related to what he'd actually done whilst in Ken's employment.

The exact details of the allegation don't appear to be terribly clear, although there is an article in The Times which is far more informative on the subject (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4263769.ece). This refers to a Mary Massey who appears to have lent Lewis £29,000, and then called in the police when he disappeared abroad and she couldn't find him. There also seem to be allegations of "sexual misconduct" although again, no precise details.

Whether this all amounts to anything it is difficult to say. It might be jumping the gun a bit to label Lewis as a "disreputable stooge", particularly since Lewis also seems to be a magistrate, and has therefore been deemed to be of "good character" by the Ministry of Justice. (It just might be a bit difficult to push the 'Boris is a bad judge of character' line, if he shares that failing with the MoJ.)


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Re: Poor Boris (#7)

by e10rifles on Fri Jul 04, 2008 at 11:53:26 AM GMT

The C of E initially issued a more detailed press release with full allegations then withdrew it as soon as the mayor's office issued a threat of legal action.


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Re: Poor Boris (#2)

by jkitleft on Thu Jul 03, 2008 at 08:59:47 PM GMT

I will echo the shouts at the brilliant tube alcohol party: "Boris is a w***er! Boris is a w***er!"

His first 'compassionate conservative' act? Doubling bus fares for poor people.

He is unfit to govern, and many conservatives can back me up on this.

On the upside, the government quietly decided to re-regulate the buses nationwide. So Boris can't reverse Ken's bussing revolution. To reverse Boris' attack on the poor, the government should relaunch Ken's 1980's scheme of 'FaresFair'.


Re: Poor Boris (#3)

by Group51 on Thu Jul 03, 2008 at 09:16:48 PM GMT

"On the upside, the government quietly decided to re-regulate the buses nationwide"

!!

We'd better follow through on this little burp of Social democracy.


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Re: Poor Boris (#4)

by jkitleft on Thu Jul 03, 2008 at 09:28:43 PM GMT

The government quietly sells its social democratic side.
The government should introduce some radical policies.
But, what Brown should do, is listen first, perhaps compromise, and then sell his policy as hard as possible. Currently he is doing this the wrong way round, making him look weak, and self-conscious.

Look what happened to clinton. For the first time, I shall defend him, as I hate the former president with a passion. He quietly helped people with college funding. Because he didn't advertise it, the Republicans quickly binned it.

This is what will happen to SureStart, if Labour doesn't start advertising it now. This is what will happen to baby bonds. I had no idea they had re-regulated buses, nor that they were providing visas to slave domestics to escape abusive gangmasters.

The problem with New Labour, is that they have advertised right-wing policies, and quietly introduced left-wing policies. Good in the short term politically, but a long term disaster. The policy on slave domestics almost rids that queasy fealing about their policies on asylum seekers.


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Re: Poor Boris (#5)

by Stuart King on Fri Jul 04, 2008 at 09:01:19 AM GMT

I am intruiged that Boris Johnson has not suspended Ray Lewis, given his forthright views during the campaign that Ken should have done likewise to Lee Jasper.

It really does not look good for Lewis and for Johnson to lose two key staff in the space of a fortnight suggests the Cameroonians were right to worry about a Johnson mayoralty.


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Re: Poor Boris (#8)

by NB on Fri Jul 04, 2008 at 06:51:29 PM GMT

The allegation is of financial impropriety in 1997 - not corruption and 10 years before Lewis had any political role). It may be linked to The Bishop of Chelmsford (a leading Liberal in the CofE, who thought he was going to be the Archbishop of York) disliking the Archibishop of York, who is a strong supporter of Ray Lewis.  Lewis was apparently never informed of the allegations or given a chance to answer them, or of the fact that he was placed on the Lambeth (black)list. And he was removed from this list (ie cleared to preach and minister if he wanted to) in 2005.  None of this was clear from the BBC reports.

The charity he founded and ran was Guardian Charity of the Year in 2007 and seems to be really effective in raising the aspirations of young black men. Surely we want justice for all, even Tories. 


Re: Poor Boris (#9)

by lastword on Fri Jul 04, 2008 at 07:23:44 PM GMT

Ray Lewis has just resigned.


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Re: Poor Boris (#10)

by aneurin on Fri Jul 04, 2008 at 08:08:34 PM GMT

Yes apparently the Ministry of Justice issued a statement regarding Ray Lewis to the effect that "he is not and has never been a magistrate" . Which is particularly damaging to Mr Lewis since he had only recently claimed at a press conference that "I have never knowingly done anything that would be inconsistent with my position as a justice of the peace."

It all seems quite bizarre.


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Re: Poor Boris (#11)

by Free Radical on Sat Jul 05, 2008 at 10:00:22 AM GMT

On the general issue - of Boris - the Tory leadership are obviously very fearful of being embarrassed by Boris, since it is such a powerful and high profile role (including outside the metropolis).

Since Boris' style is reportedly very "hands off" and he famously doesn't do detail, we may witness further episodes to cheer us.

Once the Tories are exposed and tested in power their current lustre may be seen to tarnish somewhat - hopefully before the next General Election.

Cameron must calculate that he merely has to avoid making gaffes in order to walk into number 10. Bright as he undoubtedly is, Boris might be just the right person to provide the necessary gaffes...


Re: Poor Boris (#12)

by lastword on Sat Jul 05, 2008 at 10:36:48 AM GMT

I heard Ken on his last day as an LBC DJ yesterday (give hima show!!!!) and his last piece of advice to Boris to get rid of the hangers on whose only interest is to get Cameron into 10 Downing St and to surround himself with people who actually care about delivering for London.  Unfortunately for Boris he is a prisoner of the Cameron machine.  Expect to see many more of these disasters sooner rather than later.


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Re: Poor Boris (#13)

by rwendland on Sun Jul 06, 2008 at 10:33:48 AM GMT

> he famously doesn't do detail

Tribune Diary claims Boris is already "beginning to tire of life in City Hall". I guess he misses the public-school type excitement of mixing with the boys in the house! Must be more than a possibility this will all go sour for the Tories.


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Re: Poor Boris (#14)

by swatantra on Sun Jul 06, 2008 at 11:51:46 AM GMT

That's Johnson to a tee, a dabbler in politics with nothing much really to say. A True Blue Tory of the old school.


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Poor Boris | 14 comments (14 topical)