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Lily Allen becomes Boris's latest advisor
Bumbling idiot and London mayor Boris Johnson has made the very pr friendly move of 'hiring' overrated pop star Lily Allen as an advisor on a new initative to curb knife crime.
Quite what this will acheive - apart from boosting the profiles of both Allen and Johnson - is anybody's guess. Bumbling idiot and London mayor Boris Johnson has made the very pr friendly move of 'hiring' overrated pop star Lily Allen as an advis... more -
Boris abolishes gay advisory panel - OutRage! are not outraged
The radical gay rights group OutRage! has backed the Conservative Mayor of London's decision to scrap a short-lived Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Advisory Panel, reports Pink News.
The panel (formed by Ken Livingstone) only held one meeting before the hand-over to prize buffoon Boris Johnson took place in May, and OutRage! have welcomed its abolition:
"It was elitist, unelected, unaccountable and anti-democratic," says Brett Lock.
But will Conservative Boris - who has a history of making homophobic comments - replace the body with some other kind of group to represent the rights and points of views of LGBT Londoners? Or will LGBT issues be swept under the carpet completely? What would you tell buffoon Boris about LGBT life if you had the chance?
The radical gay rights group OutRage! has backed the Conservative Mayor of London's decision to scrap a short-lived Lesbian, Gay and B... more -
"Thousands" gather to mark three years since 7/7 London bombings
Survivors and mourners gathered in London yesterday at the sites of the four blasts to remember those who lost their lives three years ago in the terrorist bombings.
London mayor Boris Johnson and Tessa Jowell, the government minister for the capital, joined hundreds of people at King's Cross at 8.50am, the time the first three bombs exploded, to pay tribute to the dead. Johnson left a memorial card which read: "We honour the memory of those who died on 7/7 2005, we salute the courage of those who were injured and our thoughts and prayers are with all victims and their families."
The anniversary has reawakened the debate over compensation paid to over 700 people injured in the blasts. More than 70 compensation claims are yet to be fully paid out.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has reportedly paid 90% of cases, paying out almost £7.5m. Survivors and mourners gathered in London yesterday at the sites of the four blasts to remember those who lost their lives three years... more -
TFL to Get the Public to Re-design the Routemaster
Transport for London have today announced that they will be looking to the public for help in redesiging the iconic London red bus, the Routemaster.
Doubtlessly lead by current mayor Boris Johnson's hatred of the bendy buses with which his predecessor Ken Livingstone replaced the previous incarnation of the Routemaster, TFL are hoping that an open-source approach to the new Routemaster's design will help counter claims that replacing the old buses will cost in excess of £800m. Transport for London have today announced that they will be looking to the public for help in redesiging the iconic London red bus, th... more -
London deputy mayor's resignation a gift for Labour
Boris Johnson's tenure as London Mayor suffered yet another setback as his deputy Ray Lewis has been forced to step down after allegations against Lewis that centred on claims of financial irregularities and inappropriate behaviour during his time as a Church of England priest in the mid-1990s, and then making false claims to be an appointed justice of the peace. The resignation is the second blow to Johnson's administration in the past 12 days, following the resignation last month of a senior adviser, James McGrath, over comments about African-Caribbean migrants. The Conservatives were hoping that Johnson's office would provide an example of how the party would govern the country if elected to power in the next general election. Labour are not wasting any time to take advantage of this latest gaff and play these sentiments back to the Conservative leadership.
June 19: interviewed on the BBC Radio Four's Today about the cost of the 2012 Olympics, Boris Johnson is asked about a memorandum agreed by his predecessor, Ken Livingstone, and the government to protect Londoners from any overspend. He said: 'I rather doubt its existence.' The document was on a government website.
June 20: Johnson comes under fire from equality campaigners after he decided that Rise, one of London's biggest free music festivals, should drop its anti-racist message.
June 22: top aide James McGrath quits after suggesting if Caribbean Londoners don't like Johnson's London, they should leave. Johnson incurs the wrath of Tory bloggers for appeasing 'political correctness'.
July 3: at a press conference Johnson tells journalists that the allegations against Ray Lewis 'did not stop him from becoming a JP'. Yesterday it emerged that Lewis is not a JP. He resigned in the evening. Boris Johnson's tenure as London Mayor suffered yet another setback as his deputy Ray Lewis has been forced to step down after allegat... more -
London deputy mayor resigns over "lies and financial misconduct"
In the latest instalment of a series of blunders by the new Tory London mayoral team, Boris Johnson's deputy mayor, Ray Lewis has resigned following accusations of financial misconduct and inappropriate behaviour. The alleged revelations were uncovered by a Guardian investigation
Johnson's predecessor, Ken Livingstone, commented yesterday, "In my entire eight years in office I suffered only one enforced resignation of any of my most senior officials, Lee Jasper - and that only after seven years - and this extreme contrast shows vividly the incompetence of Boris Johnson and his administration."
Allegations against Lewis centre around claims that he borrowed around £45,000 from parishioners including an elderly woman and a man with learning difficulties during his time as a priest in the mid-1990s.
The crisis for the team worsened after a press conference on Thursday when Lewis, dismissing the accusations, pointed out that he was a magistrate (justice of the peace). Yesterday, however, the Ministry of Justice said he never been appointed as a magistrate. In the latest instalment of a series of blunders by the new Tory London mayoral team, Boris Johnson's deputy mayor, Ray Lewis has resi... more -
GLA - Mayors Reception for London Gay Pride 2008
Boris Johnson pays tribute to Ken Livingstons diversity on the Mayors reception for the London Gay Pride 2008.
Plus Ben Summerskill from Stonewall and Paul Birrel, chairman of Pride London.
London, 01st of June of 2008 Boris Johnson pays tribute to Ken Livingstons diversity on the Mayors reception for the London Gay Pride 2008. ... more -
London Congestion Charge Faces Uncertain Future
Dozy Buffoon and current London Mayor Boris Johnson has promised to consult the public on whether or not the controversial congestion charge zone, which was extended last year, should be abolished.
This is bad news for the environment - given the car-loving attitudes of most of the inhabitants in the west London area affected by the congestion zone, its easy to predict the outcome of the public consultation... Dozy Buffoon and current London Mayor Boris Johnson has promised to consult the public on whether or not the controversial congestion ... more -
“Insufficient evidence” to declare confidence in London Mayoral results
The Open Rights Group, the body accredited by the Electoral Commission to provide official observers to the London mayoral elections, said today that it was given insufficient evidence to have full confidence in the election results. In a new report out today, it identified a number of 'shortcomings' in the e-counting of votes, and found that:
"there is insufficient evidence available to allow independent observers to state reliably whether the results declared in the May 2008 elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly are an accurate representation of voters’ intentions.”
It said that while the election was well-managed by the independent body London Elects, transparency around recording votes was at issue because the 27 official ORG observers were unable to observe whether votes being counted were actually valid. London Elects even admitted the system "was likely to be recording blank ballots as votes."
Here's a link to the ORG report: http://www.openrightsgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/orglo...
Could this be the beginning of an election scandal? The Open Rights Group, the body accredited by the Electoral Commission to provide official observers to the London mayoral elections, ... more -
Boris slams brakes on Olympic gravy train
No 'gravy train' for the UK olympiads, new London mayor Boris Johnson has axed spending on the British hospitality.
Apparently he has slashed 1.2 million quid from the cost of hosting London House, a specific venue in Beijing intended to promote the 2012 Olympics during the games as well as cancelling the 18 Gordon Ramsay trained gourmet chefs.
No 'gravy train' for the UK olympiads, new London mayor Boris Johnson has axed spending on the British hospitality. ... more -
Top celebrities and politicians come together for green shoot in London
Gordon, Tony and Boris led CEO and celebrity support in new viral sensation supporting climate change.
Shoot the Company are leading the way in green filmmaking with their new viral created to celebrate the anniversary of Together (www.together.com) the UK’s biggest climate change campaign. The London-based production company made the commitment to produce the video with the lowest possible carbon footprint.
Shoot the Company shot the video in just two weeks, travelling between locations on public transport and using natural light to illuminate their handy work. The company minimised energy output by pooling resources and crews with contributors such as Sky and The Premier League.
The innovative project brought together celebrities as well as leading figures in business and politics to urge public action on climate change. The filmmakers worked together with the campaign to secure the support of celebrities and politicians including Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, Boris Johnson, Claudia Schiffer, June Sarpong and David James.
The star-studded video can be viewed at www.together.com/togetherwecan and has already amassed over 150,000 views in the first week of its release. Tom Hillier, Director of Shoot the Company explains the importance of their green filmmaking credentials:
“The Together campaign is all about small actions making a big difference and we were committed to that ethos. This shoot certainly kept us fit – we kept our crew to a minimum and lugged the kit across London and beyond on public transport. All the talent involved were very genial and generous with their time.”
Tom Gribbin, Campaign Manager of Together adds:
"The dedication and vision of Shoot the Company was instrumental in the success of the viral. Their green credentials were an important part of our selection process and they did a remarkable job ensuring that their commitment to minimise their carbon footprint was met. We are exploring an American adaptation following the success of the UK viral to launch our ground-breaking campaign on the other side of the Atlantic next month featuring well known US figures and celebrities.”
Gordon, Tony and Boris led CEO and celebrity support in new viral sensation supporting climate change. ... more -
Tube drinks party mayhem
Thousands of people have marked a drinks ban on the London Tube with a party - leading to arrests, assaults and cancelled trains.
Revellers have explained why some Londoners took to the Tube to protest against the banning of alcohol on London transport.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7429732.stm
I am so gutted I missed out on this, I just finished doing the London commute thing a month ago. I wonder how many people made new friends or touched on the lives of strangers. The Tube at night can be many things to many people but it is it's own beast that hosts a community for 19hrs a day.
Boris, I get the feeling you are just slamming in legislation that has been researched and debated but never introduced for a very good reason, the Capital didn't want it !
Thousands of people have marked a drinks ban on the London Tube with a party - leading to arrests, assaults and cancelled trains. ... more -
Tube party ends in drunken madness
Saturday night marked the end of the 'can in hand' attitude on London's transport network. The party was supposed to be a light hearted affair but soon developed into a 'boisterous' and rowdy drunken night, with numerous arrests, station closures, criminal damage and pools of vomit, nice! - ironically this might just show why the ban may have been called in the first place? Saturday night marked the end of the 'can in hand' attitude on London's transport network. The party was supposed to be a light heart... more
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Thousands of revellers close Liverpool Street tube station
So Saturday 31st May was the last day you could drink alcohol on public transport in London. Thousands of people attended a party advertised on Facebook to catch the 20.30 BST departure from Liverpool St tube station on the westbound platform and party - bringing their own booze totally legally until the ban became active at midnight.
Peter Moore, 35, a sailor from Brighton, described his night as: "Drunken, I just downed a can of beer in 10 seconds. It's sweaty on there but I'm going round and round until I vomit."
Apparently Baker Street and Liverpool Street stations became the revelling hotspots for the party on the Circle line. So Saturday 31st May was the last day you could drink alcohol on public transport in London. Thousands of people attended a party adv... more -
Boris Johnson to write for Daily Telegraph again
The newly elected London Mayor is heading back to the daily paper to write his column. Oh and he'll get about £250k a year to do it. Obviously the task of fighting escalating street crime is not a full time job. But he is donating £25k a year to a 'Boris Bursary' to help trainee journalists out - liberals need not apply. Oh, and another £25k to help teach classics to London state schools; that'll appeal to today's troubled youths. Go Boris. The newly elected London Mayor is heading back to the daily paper to write his column. Oh and he'll get about £250k a year to do it. O... more
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Over to you Boris
The new Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, intends to bring in "respect
schools", in a bid to crack down on anti-social behaviour among teenagers.
The new Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, intends to bring in "respect ... more -
Boris bans booze on public transport
Plans to ban drinking alcohol on London's transport system will be unveiled by new mayor Boris Johnson. He will join London's transport commissioner Peter Hendy to set out a timeline for bringing in the measure.
The ban on the Tube, trains, buses and Docklands Light Railway, was one of Mr Johnson's election pledges.
Plans to ban drinking alcohol on London's transport system will be unveiled by new mayor Boris Johnson. He will join London's transpor... more -
Boris 'is new London Mayor', says Paddick
"Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London, his Liberal Democrat rival Brian Paddick conceded tonight.
The Conservative MP scored a stunning election victory to end Ken Livingstone's eight-year reign at City Hall and round off a disastrous 24 hours for the Labour Party.
After a nailbiting count, Mr Johnson was so far ahead on first-preference votes that he could not be caught by Mr Livingstone even after second preferences were taken into account.
Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Paddick was the first to concede defeat: "I think Boris Johnson didn't really want the job. Now that he has got it, that might make him a better mayor." "Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London, his Liberal Democrat rival Brian Paddick conceded tonight. ... more -
Vote counting begins in London mayoral race
Election officials have begun counting the London mayoral votes and the result is widely expected to rely on second choice ballots.
The Tories are hoping that bookies-favourite Boris Johnson can secure victory and oust Ken Livingstone, 'sealing the deal' on the May Day local elections that saw Labour suffer their worst election result in 40 years.
Analysts suggest an increase in voter turnout could give Ken Livingstone a chance to retain office though the Guardian reports that Labour is talking down the chances of a Livingstone win. According to the paper, Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, strongly hinted that she expects Johnson to be declared mayor when the results are announced, probably late this afternoon.
(This post will be updated as news and results come in. Last update: 12:25pm BST) Election officials have begun counting the London mayoral votes and the result is widely expected to rely on second choice ballots. ... more -
Local Election Nightmare for Labour
It's shaping up to be the worst election result for Labour in 40 years, the Conservatives even seem to be winning in Labour strongholds. If this kind of win happened at a general election the Conservatives would have a huge majority. It's shaping up to be the worst election result for Labour in 40 years, the Conservatives even seem to be winning in Labour stronghold... more
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Boris Johnson
