Boris Watch

An attempt to enhance the accountability of the new London mayoralty

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Ray Lewis’s Resignation - Channel 4 Report

July 4th, 2008 3 Comments

Ray Lewis maintains that the allegations are “unfounded, in my opinion” and states that he will “fight on” despite his resignation.
Update: Boris has issued this statement:
“It is with extreme reluctance and sadness that I have accepted the resignation of Ray Lewis. He has always been, and remains, an inspiring figure to me. Ray is not [...]

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Ray Lewis Resigns

July 4th, 2008 2 Comments

Ray Lewis has resigned. He continues to deny the initial accusations against him, and blames the “hair-splitters” in the media, while stating that he does not wish to “obscure the good work” of Boris.
The Telegraph claims that:
“Scotland Yard revealed that police had received a string of complaints against Mr Lewis over the last decade, in [...]

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‘Insufficient Evidence’ To Justify Electoral Results

July 4th, 2008 2 Comments

Open Rights Group has issued a report into the e-counting of votes cast in the London Elections.  The organisation, which supports civil liberties against the poor implementation and regulation of digital technology, has stated that:
“there is insufficient evidence available to allow independent observers to state reliably whether the results declared in the May 2008 elections [...]

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Bendy Buses - Reverse Gear Engaged

July 4th, 2008 3 Comments

“We should on day one, act one, scene one, hold a competition to get rid of the bendy bus”
Thus Spake Boris, back last year.  Today, far from day one, act one scene one, it’ll be some way past day one, act one, scene one of the next Mayoral term before they’re phased out, as Boris [...]

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Sad Is The Only Word

July 4th, 2008 No Comments

Not turning into the Dave Hill Echo Chamber here, but…
Ray Lewis Is About To Resign
Elsewhere another London youngster has died in a knife attack.  It’s for this reason that I’m not celebrating if this news is true - Boris came in promising to focus on what is a genuine and serious issue, and appears to [...]

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JP Or Not JP - That Is The Question

July 4th, 2008 2 Comments

[again crossing posts with Mr. Stop Boris - apologies for duplication]
I was fairly ambivalent about the Lewis case up until now - internal church disciplinary issues are a matter for the church, the police evidently weren’t bothered about criminality and Newham witholding cash is, again, up to them (although he’s now not allowed to claim [...]

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Ray Lewis: the allegations keep coming

July 4th, 2008 No Comments

Dave Hill’s uncovering more holes in things Ray Lewis has been saying:

He isn’t and has never been a magistrate
Newham Council isn’t funding his Academy any more

Unfortunately I’m out for the rest of this evening. I trust my fellow Boris-Watchers will keep an eye on things.
I’m looking forward to the Tory Troll’s report from [...]

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Routemaster Boggler Heil

July 4th, 2008 1 Comment

Right here:
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today delivered on another one of his key manifesto pledges, joining Transport for London (TfL) to launch a competition to design a brand new bus for London, inspired by the Capital’s iconic Routemaster.
Yes, launching a competition is a ‘key manifesto pledge’. That’s *launching a competition*. Not [...]

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Oyster On National Rail

July 4th, 2008 No Comments

Some parts of Boris Johnson’s transport policy are rather easy to implement - Ken Livingstone and Peter Hendy have already done it.  Take the extension of Oyster PAYG to National Rail, previously covered on BorisWatch here, when, just to remind you, the PR guff in the Standard was:

Sweeping plans to get all overground railway stations [...]

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Those Muddy Waters

July 4th, 2008 7 Comments

After profusely denying any knowledge of the allegations against him, the Mirror quotes Ray Lewis as saying:
“I became aware of this growing conspiracy quite a while ago.”
It’s very possible that Lewis is merely aligning himself with Boris’s claims, but the Mayor more than anyone is guilty of exacerbating the confusion. The Bishop of Chelmsford states [...]

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