Boris holds first mayoral press conference

Mayor Johnson took questions from the press this morning in his first full press conference since taking up the role.

He started off with a short statement announcing that he intended to stand down as MP for Henley today. Asked later what qualities he thought would be needed by the next MP for Henley he cited being able to listen and to put up with eccentric people, before adding that the best quality was to be a Conservative.

Being open to the press was a big theme. He pledged that there would be "oodles of access" and invited the press to come along on all his tours of the city, apparently as Mayor Bloomberg does in New York. He would be as "open as possible, without driving you all nuts". "Not possible" muttered the Standard's Pippa Crerar, who was one of the journalists who called for a weekly press conference. Boris also asked them not to ring his mobile quite so much as his natural politeness when dealing with requests had a tendency of getting him into trouble!

The first two questions were about the tube parties which he described as "anthropologically misunderstood" and akin to a "Celtic-style wake". He added that it was "sad a few people got so wildly drunk" on this occasion, and that the no-alcohol policy would become self-enforcing before long. He later caused some chuckles when answering a question about supporting St Patrick's Day by saying he had "nothing against parties on the tube providing they're properly conducted... and without alcohol".

Boris was asked about the progress of various election pledges. He said Patience Wheatcroft's audit of City Hall finances would be reporting its interim findings within a week, an adviser on the environment would be appointed in due course, the online GLA spending database would be implemented as soon as possible, and that "work was going on the whole time" to phase out the bendy buses.

Other statements worth noting:

• "I deprecate the idea of London being a testbed, laboratory or petri dish" for national Tory policy.
• Against 42 days and made this view plain to Sir Ian Blair.
• Admires what Livingstone did on the environment and wants to pursue that agenda with concrete measures of his own
• Regarding Kensington & Chelsea pilot scheme allowing cyclists to cycle up one-way roads, says he will see how well it works and adds that there's an argument for allowing turning left at red lights to avoid cyclists getting killed by large vehicles on the turn.
• Expressed strong support for the teaching of Latin and Ancient Greek in schools.
• Felt bad for denouncing the excessively luxurious sandwiches in City Hall on his first day when he realised they were a goodwill gesture.

Calm and confident, funny but not silly, deliberate in speech - Boris was on top form which made for a very interesting and enjoyable session.

Comments

[Treacle]

'Admires what Livingstone did on the environment and wants to pursue that agenda with concrete measures of his own'

unfortunate turn of phrase Mr Editor.....

[Deputy Editor]

His phrase not ours!

[Jennifer Wells]

Thank you. Interesting report.

[Sally Roberts]

Think he handled this extremely well coming across as charming, funny and sensitive when he needed to be. He dealt with the question concerning the tube "party" very well I think.

[Deputy Editor]

Dave Hill has a video recording.

[Jamie Shaw]

Praise to Dave Hill for the YouTube recording.

Since he has now delegated his job to Tim Parker perhaps he will be filling in for the Mayor in the weeks that fall between the one month "Mayoral" press conference intervals?

[LS]

"concrete measures"? Shades of Prescott and the green belt :)

[asquith]

How can parties be properly conducted without alcohol? Typical Tory ignorance.

[James French]

He has an interesting approach to communication to say the least.

The downside is that he sees it on his part as more about placting the listener than actually being forthright and honest.