Well is he a buffoon or not, that is the question. Well obviously the majority of the 45% of those Londoners that bothered to turn out (the largest amount for several elections they say) and vote don't think so or do they? Did they vote for him because they see him as the best 'man' for the job or is this a protest vote against Labour especially after the recent problems (getting rid of the 10p tax etc).
A close friend of 'Red' Ken said that Livingston thought he was a buffoon initially but after reading his speech's early on and looking at his past speech's he took him very seriously. Ken took all the blame for loosing but then should he or was he shot in the food by Gorden and his governmental policies. I guess whatever we (I'm an ex Londoner) think the proof will be in the next 12 months and then of course later on when the next mayoral election takes place. Personally I think Boris's buffoonery is just an act to make him appear human which has worked rather well but then we will see.
well I was working as a poll clerk at one of the polling stations in Surrey where our region didn't have a mayoral vote, only voting for the local council. I was surprised at the amount of people who came in and expressed surprise or anger that our area wouldn't have a chance to vote for the London Mayor, since the mayoral policies don't just affect central London but also the suburbs around that are full of commuters who travel in there to work. Without exception, all of the voters who came to my desk and asked if they had a mayoral vote then said that they wanted Ken out, as he had effectively driven the commuters away. They couldn't drive in to London (and suburban train services can be patchy in the evenings and at weekends) and that was a big issue, especially with the planned increase in congestion charge. Many of them had to take a vehicle in (vans, etc.) for building work and they said they were just being priced out. However, there is a surcharge on our council rates for pay for the mayor, so we have to pay but don't get any say in the vote! So, regardless of what central Londoners think, I believe there may be rejoicing in the suburbs - not for the vote for Boris but for the fact that Ken is now out!
Take a look at the Euro this morning, that should tell you something.
Going . . . Going . . . . .
nectarine wrote:well I was working as a poll clerk at one of the polling stations in Surrey where our region didn't have a mayoral vote, only voting for the local council. I was surprised at the amount of people who came in and expressed surprise or anger that our area wouldn't have a chance to vote for the London Mayor, since the mayoral policies don't just affect central London but also the suburbs around that are full of commuters who travel in there to work. Without exception, all of the voters who came to my desk and asked if they had a mayoral vote then said that they wanted Ken out, as he had effectively driven the commuters away. They couldn't drive in to London (and suburban train services can be patchy in the evenings and at weekends) and that was a big issue, especially with the planned increase in congestion charge. Many of them had to take a vehicle in (vans, etc.) for building work and they said they were just being priced out. However, there is a surcharge on our council rates for pay for the mayor, so we have to pay but don't get any say in the vote! So, regardless of what central Londoners think, I believe there may be rejoicing in the suburbs - not for the vote for Boris but for the fact that Ken is now out!
Ken didn't stand a chance with it being St Boris day in France yesterday.
Baz
Quillan wrote: Well is he a buffoon or not, that is the question. ....... A close friend of 'Red' Ken said that Livingston thought he was a buffoon initially but after reading his speech's early on and looking at his past speech's he took him very seriously.
Well is he a buffoon or not, that is the question. ....... A close friend of 'Red' Ken said that Livingston thought he was a buffoon initially but after reading his speech's early on and looking at his past speech's he took him very seriously.
Have a look at his website.
http://www.boris-johnson.com/
His books are fascinating and show his intellect. He is not a buffoon. "Lend me your ears" is a collection of his Telegraph articles. I read it about 3 years ago and was hooked. From then on, I would read his articles in the Thursday edition of the paper or online. The Barclay Bros paid him £250,000 per year for his writings. You don't pay that kind of money to an idiot.
'Dream of Rome' is an interesting study and as you read it, you can hear his voice dictating it - it contains his speech mannerisms. It has some absorbing analogies between the Roman Empire and the EU. Take a look at the customer reviews of this book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dream-Rome-Boris-Johnson/
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