News in from Nick Boles: Boris didn’t vet Ray Lewis because he didn’t have time. The Supreme Leader Delegator’s former chief of staff claimed:
Boris Johnson’s team failed to vet disgraced deputy mayor Ray Lewis thoroughly because they were focused more on campaigning than on making detailed preparations to run City Hall.
Because, with emphasis added:
The Evening Standard has learned that, according to an inquest into the fiasco being held by senior Conservatives, Nicholas Boles, the Mayor’s former chief of staff, is said to have told colleagues that Team Boris came under pressure from their chief elections strategist, Australian consultant Lynton Crosby, not to give too much time before 1 May to planning how City Hall would be governed.
Mr Crosby is said to have been worried-that Mr Johnson would look complacent if he was seen to be dishing out jobs to supporters before election day.
He also wanted the would-be mayor to concentrate on the election campaign against Ken Livingstone, which most observers thought was too close to call.
So, what might this say about Team Boris? That they weren’t prepared for any administration – because they were too concerned with party-political bitchery. That they weren’t prepared for any administration – because they couldn’t say no to Lynton Crosby. Or, just maybe, that they weren’t prepared for any administration because they didn’t think it’d ever happen anyway.
Nothing like an excuse, then.
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