View Single Post
  #3   Report Post  
Old April 24th 09, 08:09 PM posted to uk.transport.london
Recliner[_2_] Recliner[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,008
Default ES - Boris' one term Mayoralty?

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message

On Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:05:08 -0700 (PDT), Mizter T
wrote:

I hadn't picked up on this story at all yesterday - Evening Standard
are running with the possibility that Bozza might only be around
until 2012, based on an interview he did with the paper's editor that
appears today. Just thought some of you might be interested in this,
hence this post.

Now of course the ES often goes in for overblowing such stories (to
say the least), but in the interview he does make a number of
comments including "I don't know if I am going to try to do a second
term [...]" before going on to somewhat ambiguously qualify his
comments (ambiguous because they seem to leave open the option of
going to do something about x, y and z issues elsewhere - i.e. at
Westminster and in Whitehall, in other words in central government).


I'm in two minds. There's a bit of me that would not be remotely
surprised if he only wanted to do one term - it almost feels now as if
he is bored with the job given he's delegated almost every role to a
deputy. I've no doubt he's hugely ambitious and would love to be PM.
It creates a potential nightmare for the Tory Party though if he
decides to pursue that ambition. I would not wish to be in David
Cameron's shoes.

However there's also an aspect to those articles where he is teasing
and having fun with the reporter so he could quite easily point out
it was one great big lark and not be taken seriously. He often comes
across like that on telly too. It could just be part of the great
"hasn't he done well, 1st anniversary of this victory" publicity
campaign that appears to be trundling into action.


As I recall Boris wasn't particularly enthusiastic about standing in the
first place, and had to be pushed into it. But one gets the impression
he's quite enjoying it now. However, an old Etonian would never show the
sort of naked ambition that lesser mortals do. So, even if he
desperately wants a second term, he'd never show it at this stage.