Ken Livingstone plays the crying card for the cameras - How low can he go?

I'm all for an amnesty on illegal immigrants.

Angry though I may be about the number of illegal immigrants (725,000 in 2007) that have managed to get into our country, I do find myself agreeing with Boris Johnson's initiative to have an amnesty.

From the BBC:

The study into the economic impact of an amnesty for illegal immigrants was carried out by the London School of Economics (LSE). It estimates that, if a minimum of five years' residence in the UK were needed to qualify, 450,000 illegal immigrants could be granted amnesty.

This would allow those who are not contributing to the nation to start working and paying taxes. Boris said:

"If it does look as though they could make a contribution to society, we should regularise their status or offer them the chance of regularising their status. "If people are going to be here and we've chronically failed to kick them out it's morally right that they should contribute in their taxes to the rest of society."

It's a mess, but Boris might be able to salvage some good out of a terrible situation.

UPDATE: Tonight's Panorama - Immigration - Time for an Amnesty? Click HERE to watch it

Boris Johnson - Ping Pong is coming home!!!

I've just had the supreme pleasure of watching Boris Johnson giving his London Olympics handover speech. This is a speech to remember. Forget timing, forget polish and forget spin, this is how to give a speech. You too can enjoy Boris's speech by clicking HERE. don't miss it.

Poor old Gordon Brown can only look on and wonder how Boris makes it look so easy.

Thanks to DB in the comments for pointing out that it is now on youtube, enjoy:

Bookmakers favourite Barack steps up - Boris steps down.

Boris has announced he is to step down as Conservative MP for Henley. This will start the ball rolling for a likely By-election on the 26th June. Henley is one of the safest seats for the Conservatives and it looks likely that Oxfordshire councillor John Howell will be a shoe in. He will be standing against Labour's candidate Richard McKenzie, the Lib Dems will be fielding Stephen Kearney, the Greens - Mark Stevenson and UKIP are putting up Chris Adams. UPDATE: The Libertarian party is also putting up a candidate, Ian Parker-Joseph (thanks to Harry in the comments).



As Boris steps down, Barack Obama steps up and announces himself the "the Democratic nominee for president of the United States". However Clinton has yet to concede defeat. Barack is now 1/ 2 favourite to win the US Presidential Election with William Hill who make John McCain the 6/4 outsider.

Gordon Brown put on two weeks notice by Hilton.

GMTV this morning saw Alex Hilton and Iain Dale discussing Gordon Brown's future. Alex was very bold giving Brown two weeks to turn the party's fortunes around - otherwise he should be visited by the men in Grey suits. Personally I can't see Gordon changing and hope for the nation's sake that he does get that visit.

Obviously as a Conservative, it would be better if he stayed, but can the country take another two years of his mismanagement? Whatever happens it's going to be an interesting few weeks in UK politics. We have the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty on the 12th of June,(come on Ireland) the by-election for Boris's seat and the vote on 42 days detention.

I've been saying for about 6 or 7 months that Brown would be on his way out in May. It looks like I could be only a few weeks out.

Watch this space.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

John Howell selected to replace Boris.

Oxfordshire County councillor John Howell has been selected as the Conservative candidate hoping to replace Boris Johnson as Henley MP. John, a member of the Oxfordshire county cabinet and the representative for Dorchester and Berinsfield, was selected ahead of Ann Ducker and John Cotton. Also a parish councillor in Warborough, John was made an OBE in 2000.

The election should take place in the next two or three weeks. John said: "For now I just want to say that it is a huge privilege to have been selected as the Conservative candidate for my home constituency. “I plan to spend the next few weeks talking to as many local people as possible about the issues that affect us all in South Oxfordshire."

Good luck John Howell.

I wonder what form of idiocy we can expect from the Labour campaign this time around.

Boris Johnson agrees partnership with Mayor Bloomberg.

Could the partnership deal that Boris has entered into with his New York counterpart Michael Bloomberg be the beginning of a new, bright future for London? Bloomberg's record as the man who gets it right in New York is well known. Any advice Boris takes from his new American partner will no doubt benefit the residents of London.

Boris has definitely hit the ground running.

David Cameron goes after Gordon Brown on 10p tax.

At his monthly press conference David Cameron made it clear he was going after Gordon Brown on the 10p tax fiasco. With the Crewe & Nantwich seat up for grabs on the 22nd May he told the assembled press that overturning Labour's 7000 majority was the party's "top campaigning priority":

Obviously it's going to be a tall order but we will give it our best shot. We have a strong local candidate and a real focus from the entire organisation.We've made a strong start, first out of the blocks, our message being delivered right across the constituency.Our message will focus in particular on the 10p tax rate and how Gordon Brown is hurting the people of Crewe with tax increases just as their cost of living is going up.

David also talk about how he and Boris were to meet with Mayor Bloomberg of New York this week. The meeting will focus on education and Mayor Bloomberg's strong record in turning around failing schools in New York City. In a dig clearly aimed at Gordon Brown's dithering David said:

After our excellent election results last week people are saying: what next from the Conservatives?How are you going to build on your success?And how will you respond to the increased scrutiny you will now receive as the alternative government in waiting? I want to give a clear answer to that question today.First let me explain something fundamental about how I see the job of Prime Minister,I don't think you achieve very much as Prime Minister unless you have an incredibly clear idea about what you want to achieve and how you'll go about it.You've got to have a plan, and that plan has to have a sense of focus. You can't do everything at once - and you shouldn't try.You've got to focus on what you think is most important, and you've got to be pretty stubborn in going for it - and not letting yourself be blown about by events.

I have a good feeling about the way Boris and David are going to sort this country out. Boris is assembling a great team and both he and David are making alliances with people who have achieved results and not made empty promises.

You can read David's full speech by clicking HERE.

David Cameron - Boris wins video - London Mayor.

Here is a video showing David Cameron celebrating Boris Johnson's London Mayor Election win. Here is a top tip for team Cameron: get David on the TV more often in these behind the scenes moments. The more I see him, the more I'm sure about the party's future.

Magic our Boris!

Boris Johnson - Mayor of London 2008.

Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London!

Magic our Boris!!!

Boris 1,168,738 votes

Ken 1,028,966 votes

Boris Johnson must beat Ken Livingstone on May 1st.

With only three days to go until the election for the next Mayor of London, the polls are showing Boris and Ken on level pegging. Having been (until recently) a life long Labour supporter, I can say with all honesty that I cannot understand how Ken Livingstone became Mayor, or continued to get elected. He always reminds me of an evil villain from a Bond movie, or the corrupt official at odds with Batman. When do you ever hear anything good said about Red Kenneth in the media? how often has his name been linked to the dubious activities of others? Why the hell do people vote for him? it's beyond me. Maybe he has a massive family.

I'm reasonably sure that Boris will come out on top - the main reason being that I believe there are now more people who want to stop Ken winning than there are wanting to bash Boris. Boris has been at a disadvantage in these latter stages due to his less than polished public speaking ability. It's a shame he can't articulate the message he writes so eloquently. Boris has some great ideas for London and a real passion for the position of Mayor. It's maybe his passion for London and the job of Mayor that causes Boris to occasionally fall over his words.

There is no doubt that the result of Mayoral election will have massive connotations across the whole country. One Mr G Brown of Downing Street will be devastated if Ken fails to remain in office. And if the local elections follow the trend of recent polls, then Gordon could be in for a left-right combination that he will be unable to get up from. David Miliband must be torn over the outcome. He will not want to see Labour lose, but a loss would most likely see him stood where all MPs dream of standing - at the dispatch box every Wednesday lunchtime.

If you live in London and you aren't sure which way to vote, and if you have not been convinced by Boris's public speaking, then please take a little time read what Boris has planned to improve our Capital.

A vote for Boris is a vote for London.

London Mayor - Magic our Boris! (12 point lead).

A YouGov poll for today's Evening Standard shows Boris Johnson to be extending his lead over Red Ken in the London Mayoral race. Boris is now polling about 49% of the population of London (no jokes please), Ken is on 37% (he's been polling the whole of London for quite a while) and Brian Paddick is dragging arse on 12%.

Meanwhile Ken is having problems with Porsche. From the Guardian:

The row between Porsche and the mayor of London intensified last night when Ken Livingstone called on the luxury car manufacturer to abandon its legal challenge to a new £25 polluters' charge, claiming it did not have the support of Londoners.

This is going to be a very bad year for Labour.

Andrew Marr show - Sheriff Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson is a man with a vision. Speaking on the Andrew Marr show this morning he set out his plans to clean up London, both its physical appearance and its crime. Boris sees his role as being more hands on, making sure the city runs the way the people want it to. In a New York style he intends to clean up the small crimes that ruin the city. It's well documented that this approach reduces overall crime including serious offences. He talks of under 18s earning the privilege of free bus travel by acts such as community and voluntary work. He talks of the police reacting to the crimes that matter to the people of the city. He talks of mayoral advisors being accountable for their actions. In fact Boris seems exceedingly motivated and energised by the idea of making London the great city it should have always been.

It's those small crimes that make all the difference to the people that live in the city. Without a doubt inaction by the police on small crime, creates an atmosphere of lawlessness which leads to more serious and violent crimes. Car crime is a massive problem in this country, not because it's difficult to detect, but because the police don't even bother trying to detect it. Any of you who have had your car broken into will know this. The police won't even bother to look at the car. Vehicle crime in this country has a pathetic detection rate of 11%. The same goes for bicycles in London. Thousands are stolen and never investigated - what's to stop a bike thief? - nothing. Bike crime may seem trivial but it reduces the feeling of safety on the streets.

Boris has the right idea. If you clean up the streets, and get rid of the petty crime, people will believe that the city is well policed and crime won't be tolerated. Go to New York and you will see a cleaner city and police in abundance. That's why New York has seen a staggering 70% reduction in crime.

I believe Boris could not only change London for the better, but he could show the rest of the country how it's done.

Back Boris.

You can watch Andrew interviewing Boris by clicking HERE. (45mins into the show).

Brian Paddick is the Liberal Democrat candidate for London mayor.

Former deputy assistant commissioner for the Metropolitan police Brian Paddick, was the United Kingdom's most senior openly gay police officer. Today Brian has been named as the Liberal Democrat candidate for London mayor. Born on 24 April 1958 in Balham in London, Brian was educated at Tooting Bec Grammar School and Queen's College Oxford (to name a few). In December 2003 the Mail on Sunday apologised and paid damages to Brian after they published a story by his former partner, James Renolleau, that Commander Paddick had used cannabis.

On being selected for the Libdem Mayoral candidate Brian said: "less crime, better transport, cleaner air and fewer Londoners living in poverty" was crucial for London. In a interview with Pink News Brian set out some of his priorities if elected mayor. He said that illegal drugs were "dangerous and harmful and it is better if people live without them", but he would not be afraid of adopting a "radical solution if it's fully thought through, if it's workable, affordable and gets the right result". In a leaflet released on his campaign website on 10 September, he pledged to "put more police officers, fully trained, equipped and with the necessary powers out on the street, dealing with violent gun and knife crime".

I wish him luck, obviously I still want Boris to win, but it does look like the Libdems have put up a very capable candidate.

Boris Johnson - Conservative candidate for Mayor of London.

Boris Johnson (hero of the people and all round bon oeuf) was confirmed this morning as the official conservative candidate for Mayor of London. Boris received 15,661 votes, that's a massive 75% of the 20,019 votes cast. His nearest rival was Victoria Borwick with 1,869 votes.

Rather bitterly,Tony McNulty, the Home Office minister, said "for all his strengths as an individual, Boris is essentially a very clever man, but ultimately a clown, and he won't put up with the sort of scrutiny that mayoral candidates do". And he said that decision to elect Boris as a mayoral candidate was "frankly an insult to London".

Well Tony, if it is such an insult why did he get 75% of a vote open to all Londoners? I think you could well be talking out of your backside. Red Ken will not be at all pleased with this overwhelming endorsement of Boris Johnson. It makes you wonder how much of the vote Boris would have got without the smear campaigns aimed at him. Kenneth better get his CV updated.

Magic our Boris!

You can find more about Boris's mayoral campaign by clicking HERE.

Hazel Blears on Boris Johnson

Hazel Blears must not have received Gordon Brown's order not to attack the opposition. She did not mention names, but I think it's quite obvious who she is talking about:

"Because the last thing a modern, diverse, international-class capital like London needs is a fogeyish, bigoted and upper-class twit for its mayor. "

Perhaps Hazel prefers a fogeyish, bigoted, and communist twit for mayor instead?

You can find more about Boris's mayoral campaign by clicking HERE.

Iain Dale Interviews Mayoral Hopeful Boris Johnson.

Tonight at 9pm in an interview on internet TV station 18 Doughty Street, Iain Dale talks to the Conservative mayoral aspirant Boris Johnson. In fact if you can't wait until then, you can view it now by clicking HERE. The show lasts half an hour and having read the transcript I can tell you it is not to be missed. It's Pure Boris, here's a taster:

ID: What's the first thing that you will do as Mayor of London?

BJ: I will rejoice. Obviously in an inclusive way. But I will rejoice that a period of common sense for the government of London will be ushered in. There are several things that I will do in act one, scene one, day one... I want to have a complete review of the vast bureaucracy and some of the organisations that are running, Transport for London, the Met Police, and see how that is all running. But I think the first thing that I will do is commission a study, a competition for the replacement of the Bendy Bus with a beautiful new Routemaster bus for the 21st century. With disabled access and with somewhere that people with buggies can get on and off.

ID: Why did you make of the Compass dossier?

BJ: I think they are trying to wind me up. I think someone is trying to wind me up out there. I take it in good part. I think it's highly flattering that he is obviously so rattled that it is necessary to do this. I don't think it is going to work but I wish him luck with his current strategy.

ID: A question from 'Desperate Dan'. I've received two ballot papers for the candidate selection. Does Boris Johnson think I should vote twice?

BJ: Desperate Dan - I could not possibly advise you to do that, though I am proud to be a member of your Pie Eater's Club and always have been.

Extracts are from “an interview on Internet TV station 18 Doughty Street” with the kind permission of Iain Dale.

Go Boris Go - What a cracking speech.

Boris is on BBC News 24 now and is talking up a storm. He's full of fire, wit and determination. If Ken is watching this he is NOT going to be happy. Gordon Brown should take a few lessons in public speaking from Boris.

You can find out more about "Boris for Mayor" by Clicking HERE.

Magic our Boris!

My South Park Character and Other Bloggers

This is my South Park character. To find out what you look like in the South Park style click HERE

Hat Tip: adelaide green porridge cafe

UPDATE: I've also done characters of some fellow Bloggers:

UPDATE 2: It seems that this is catching on. Other bloggers have done self portraits which I've added to this post.

Big Chip Dale

And Iain Dale

The Devil

Guido

His Grace

Boris

Mr Eugenides

Rogue GunnerTheo Spark

Rilly Super

Jeremy Jacobs

UK Daily Pundit

DodgeblogiumEllee SeymourDark HereticKate

James Cleverly

Caroline

Wonko

Grendel

Mr Gruff

Nick Robinson

St Crispen

Haddock

Views from the Asylum

Adelaide green porridge cafe

C4'

Beaman

I hope they are not offended. There could be more to follow.

Johnson Is Likely To Run For Mayor - Magic Our Boris!

Old Ken better start updating his CV if rumours of Boris Johnson running for Mayor of London turn out to be accurate. Hero of the people, Boris has a lovable (if a bit daft) rogue thing going on while also being seen by many as an honest man. I'm hoping he applies before Monday's deadline, Boris as Mayor of London would make for interesting times ahead.

Magic our Boris!