Boris Watch

I posted earlier on our local web forum, chiswickw4.com, pointing out to the local Boris fans that things were perhaps going a little pear shaped.  I received a shrill response that began as follows:
Why don’t you just shut up
To which my answer, about to be posted, is ‘No’.

Paul Waugh at his Evening Standard blog:
“Insiders claim that Mr Boles was closely involved in the appointment of each of the three figures who have been forced to quit - former Deputy Mayor Ray Lewis, former deputy chief of staff James McGrath and now Tim Parker. I’m told that a power struggle with Sir Simon [...]

A gold medal for whoever found the clip of Tim Parker saying this to BBC London on the Politics Show on 13 July:
I’m here to get the job done. You won’t find me disappearing over the hill in a couple of months.

He was right, of course – it’s only been one month.

Without wishing to distract you from the hawt news of today, and Tom’s careers advice notwithstanding, Boris’s latest Telegraph column is rather interesting:
“If you believe the British press, the youth of today is aimless, feckless and hopeless, addicted to their PlayStations, lacking in respect and lacking in the emotional discipline needed to cope with a [...]

Following a tip in the comments, I’m catching up on today’s World at One interview (near the end).  Rough transcript:
Waffling about the Olympics.  Talking about making savings.  Wants a show that’s ‘equally fantastic’ as China, but on a budget.  Talks about the Olympic parade in October.  Easy stuff for a politician.  Then comes the genuine [...]

Richard Barnbrook of the BNP thinks Tim is a ‘nice chap’.  Are there any of Boris Johnson’s Policy Exchange appointees the BNP don’t approve of?
Following on from the shock announcement this morning that Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has lost yet another Deputy Mayor I am currently sat by the telephone expecting an important call.As [...]

I’ve been in central London quite a lot lately (as well as generally all over the place for weeks, which is why I’ve not been doing much in the way of blogging lately), so I’ve been delighted to be reacquainted with the horrors of the Evening Standard display boards.
Last Friday I couldn’t move for being [...]

So far we have the Labour Group unsurprisingly putting the boot in (via Tory Troll’s comments):
The chaos on the 8th floor is now a huge issue.
Relationships on the 8th floor are riddled with tensions and, whilst Boris was keen to give him this position of First Deputy Mayor, Parker’s colleagues were clearly not supportive. Parker [...]

Mayorwatch reports:
City Hall has this morning announced that Tim Parker, the businessman brought in by Boris Johnson to reform the Greater London Authority and chair Transport for London, will be stepping down from his position as ‘First Deputy Mayor’.
Oh dear.  To lose one Deputy Mayor could be considered a misfortune.  To lose two looks like [...]

Boris on the upgraded Shadwell DLR station:
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has hailed a new weapon in his fight to cut crime in the capital - a revamped Docklands Light Railway station.
Crime figures for Shadwell station, in the borough of Tower Hamlets, have dropped since Transport for London transformed its dark and dingy entrance [...]