On 3 Feb, 16:03, Tom Barry wrote:

Mizter T wrote:

Rather than just subscribing to the path of least resistance Boris
should have the balls to show some real leadership, challenge the
status quo and have a stab at changing the world. Not impressed at all
that he wimped out of this - what's more didn't his manifesto say he
was fully committed to the LEZ?

Rule #94 of blinkered commentators: 'The left don't stick to their
manifestos, even if they do. *The right stick to their manifestos even
if they don't'.

I expect he'll argue that he was committed to the *current* LEZ.

That's basically what went through my mind too. My recollection of the
manifesto commitment is that it essentially read just like that - i.e.
'committed to the LEZ' - which is vague enough to allow for plenty of
wriggle room. I've got copies of the rather threadbare mini-
manifesto's that appeared on the BackBoris website saved somewhere,
just not quite sure where! I'll try and dig them out.

No,
I'm not impressed, at every single opportunity he's had to demonstrate
a break with pro-car policies he's failed, which is either because he
hasn't got the balls or because he genuinely feels the individual needs
motorists have an overriding importance over the social needs of cities.
* Great qualifications for a motoring journalist, but not a 21st century
Mayor. *I suspect he tunes out anything but the voice of motorists, whom
he believes are a persecuted majority. *He wants to be liked by
everybody, and that psychological need prevents him standing up to
people close to him on the political side, which is a shame since
they're incompetent. *Witness his mooching about the Thames Estuary -
that's not Boris's fault, it's Kit Malthouse. *Likewise the anti-public
transport policies are the highly inexperienced Kulveer Ranger's doing.

It's not like he's not got good green advice on tap, his Environment
Advisor Isobel Dedring must be doing her nut by now.

Indeed, I can't help but think this is the work of 'Team Boris' as
opposed to Boris himself - and Team Boris seems to be a rather
politically timid animal.


On the bright side, Peter Hendy comes across very well as usual in an
article in the Standard. *With any luck Andrew Gilligan might look up
from his wikipedia entry
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Andrew_Gilligan) and tear the rest of
his hair out. *Winds of change are blowing...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...-details/I+do+...

Interesting piece, almost feel as though he might said a bit too much
though! The Standard managed to make a headline out of a definitive
statement that Hendy didn't quite make, but hey that's how newspapers
work. Lots I could pick up on there, but the comments regarding both
the upcoming £60 million gap in the budget caused by the scrapping of
the western extension of the congestion charge, along with his widely
known annoyance with ex-Mayor Ken for freezing fares that led to an
£80 million gap in the budget perhaps demonstrate a somewhat plain
speaking manner. Anyway I won't do some deep analysis of everything he
apparently said, instead I'll just say that like others I'm very glad
he's still the top man at TfL. I've a feeling that had Peter Parker
become Chair of TfL things might have worked out rather differently -
and for 'differently' read worse!

Oh, and the Gilligan wikipedia sockpuppeting stuff all looks rather
involved! I take it that there seems to be a fair chance that Mr
Gilligan has been changing his own entry and pretending he's someone
else. Can't say I find it that surprising, but I guess it would also
serve to show the make of the man. Gilligan does seem like a somewhat
slippery character.

But I digress from the matter in hand - and let us not loose sight of
that through the smog - which is the LEZ, and the promise of cleaner
air for London.