Boris Johnson sets out campaign themes in after lunch talk to journalists

At lunchtime today ConservativeHome was a guest at a Commons Press Gallery event with Boris Johnson as the speaker.  It was all very traditional with Grace and a Toast to Her Majesty.  Unfortunately it would be rude to reveal the journalists who stayed seated for the Toast.

Here are the main points Boris Johnson made in his after lunch speech:

• Ken Livingstone - who he christened Ken Leavingsoon - complained that BJ had been invited to address the Gallery.
• Ken Livingstone had once said that two terms was enough for a mayor and the voters of London should hold him to that.
• A Mayor Johnson would not take junkets to Cuba but would be focused on transport, housing and crime.
• Too many rabbit hutch dwellings were being constructed.  There was too much spoiling of London's garden city quality.  A Mayor Johnson would work much more closely with London's boroughs to address the city's housing needs.
• He would consider binding arbitration for the payment of London's transport workers in return for a no strikes deal.
• There would be a new, 21st century Routemaster bus that would have disability access at the front and traditional hop-on-access at the rear.
• The Freedom Pass would be retained for all of London's senior citizens.
• There would be 440 new Police Community Support Officers on London's most rowdy routes - paid for by a reduction in the Mayor's PR budget.
• Live CCTV would be tried experimentally on buses.
• Petty criminality will no longer be tolerated by young people using London Transport.  Free travel will be forfeited for anti-social behaviour and will have to be earned back by undertaking community work.
• There would be crime mapping so that London's police would be held accountable for their performance.
• More money should be going to social entrepreneurs and BJ will establish a Mayor's Fund to encourage wealthy City earners to give to good causes.
• He also said that he would like to make more use of the Thames for getting around London and he hoped to explore the possibility of Catmaran boats.

Asked by Julia Hartley-Brewer of the Sunday Express if voters could trust him given that he lied to his wife he replied that voters had more pressing concerns.

It was a winsome performance overall.  The journalists liked him.  He offered lots of policy ideas although nothing specific on tax and waste.  [Harry Phibbs wants him to lower council tax].  Perhaps that is to come...

Comments

[eugene]

I have said this elsewhere but I feel it need be repeated.

I saw him on a PPB on TV this week. I did not listen to much of what he said as I was distracted by how unpresentable he was. He needs a hair cut, his suit was badly cut for his shape and he needs to lose a stone.

I thought ''That guy looks like he has just fallen out of an aeroplane''

Image counts.

He needs to sort it out.

Thanks for listening.

[Tony Makara]

Eugene, I disagree, it would be tragic to see a fake, manufactured Boris. Its great that we have a politician who is so original and human enough to have made mistakes in life. Such foibles give Boris a better understanding of life and the human condition. Let Boris be Boris and lets have some originality in politics for a change.

[Mr Angry]

The voters actually like Boris' dishevelled image, it works for him with moast people, not against him.

I am delighted to hear that he is at last making firm policy commitments of the sort that will appeal to Londoners, this is exactly what we need.

Oh and if anyone wants to talk about his marital unfaithfulness then let's just compare that with Livingstone's alleged assault upon his pregnant girlfriend then shall we.

[Walter West]

Boris' policies seem perfectly sensible.
The idea of binding arbitration in return for a no strike deal is certainly an interesting one that is deserving of further exploration.