On 15 Jan, 13:29, "Recliner" wrote:

"Tony Polson" wrote:

Boris Toffson's Thames Estuary Airport plan is something of an
embarrassment for the Tory party. *He is shaping up to be as much of a
thorn in the Tories' side as Ken Livingstone was in his party's.

With one key difference: Ken never had ambitions beyond London politics,
but Boris does. This makes him a rival for whoever is leading the Tory
party, whereas Ken never had any leadership ambitions outside London.
But it might also make him more careful (ie, he probably won't do the
rightwing equivalent of Chavez type deals).

You'll note in my separate reply to Tony's post that I don't quite
agree with his simplistic analysis of Boris, but anyway regarding your
points...

I think Ken did once have ambitions beyond London, but they had gone
by the time he was elected Mayor in 2000.

Your point about Boris and his ambitions is true in my mind. I think
that at least some of his actions in London need to be viewed through
the national lens before they can be fully comprehended, as for at
least some of the time he is playing over the heads of the Londoners
in the stalls to the national audience in the grand circle (and
occasionally throwing a line or two in the direction of the opulent
box dwellers).