Boris announces new team

The Evening Standard reports on the new team chosen by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

It says:

Kit Malthouse, who ran previously ran policing for the Mayor, will help implement the campaign pledge to create 200,000 jobs. The heavy-hitter, who has a professional background in finance, will get to work regenerating struggling parts of the capital. The other key appointment is Stephen Greenhalgh  as deputy mayor for policing. He will run the Office for Crime and Policing during the Olympics and the financially tricky months which will follow, when pressure will be on to cut police numbers.

Eddie Lister continues as the chief-of-staff and deputy mayor for planning, while two other first-term veterans — Munira Mirza and Richard Blakeway — will have beefed-up roles covering education and culture, and housing. It brings to seven the number of deputies assisting Mr Johnson, including one at transport and a new statutory deputy following the ousting of Tory Richard Barnes in last week’s Assembly elections.

I predict that with this team Boris will achieve even more in the second term than he did in the first. Rather than run out of steam he will gain momentum. Key aspects of the woeful Livingstonian inheritance of groaning bureaucracy that had remained in tact will now be dismantled. That is what Eddie Lister will deliver. Munira Mirza is excellent and her expanded to brief to cover education as well as culture is very promising.

Crucial will be that not only do we have more police but that those we have are able to spend more of their time fighting crime. I am delighted that Stephen Greenhalgh has been made Deputy Mayor for Policing. His policing credentials as Hammersmith and Fulham Council leader are strong. He presided over council funding of £1.3 million a year to pay for enhanced policing in our three town centres. This meant we had more policing than anywhere else in Britain. An annual Crime Summit was introduced to promote resident involvement and police accountability. He also presided over an increase in the number of Neighbourhood Watch schemes from six to over 150 - covering 235 streets - and the recruitment of a 17 strong team of Neighbourhood wardens to fight crime on our estates.