Boris Watch

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 himself has always been “Chief Beast” in his jungle and it was clearly not going to operate in that way here.

Parker must have been aghast at all the chaos surrounding the first 100 days of Boris Johnson. Parker has a serious reputation in the private sector - why on earth would he risk it in this chaos?

The Mayor is now in an unsustainable position. In addition to being Mayor, he says he wants to Chair the Police Authority, Transport for London and the new Waste Authority. Additionally, having delegated his planning powers he recently took them back. He needs to find some competent deputies to share his responsibilities - instead it looks like they are fighting like rats in a sack.

He has also lost two Deputy Mayors and a senior adviser in controversial circumstances. As if that was not enough, he has failed in his promise to give a clear statement of priorities and ‘direction of travel’. London is drifting and Boris is the Captain. Can he afford to go to Beijing during this crisis? When will this chaos end?

Mike Tuffrey of the Lib Dems (via Mayorwatch, the glalibdems.org.uk site hasn’t had a new story for six days):

“To lose one advisor is unfortunate, to lose two is careless but to lose three in four months shows the wheels are coming off this new administration.”

Tuffrey added, ”Why is Boris losing yet another advisor? Has Tim Parker discovered that running London isn’t as easy as running private business?”

BBC are playing it as a resignation in a fit of pique:

Boris Johnson’s First Deputy Mayor has quit - just over a month after taking up the post.

Tim Parker, 52, stood down after being told he would not be taking over the role of running Transport for London (TfL) as previously agreed.

The Grauniad now has it on the front page:

Boris Johnson suffered the third lose of a senior member of his administration today when Tim Parker resigned as the first deputy mayor.

Parker, a prominent businessman and former board member of the Audit Commission, said he was stepping down because he did not think Johnson needed a full-time first deputy mayor.

Even the Evening Boris is beginning to get with the programme:

Boris Johnson was facing more embarrassment today after the second deputy mayor in his team resigned.

Tim Parker stood down as chief of staff after Mr Johnson stripped him of his role of running Transport for London from next month.

He is the second of Mr Johnson’s deputies to leave since May and the third senior aide to go.

I wonder what Andrew Gilligan makes of it all…

UPDATE - Ken Livingstone can safely be said to be ‘f*ckin’ loving it’.  Characteristic compassion here:

“Tim Parker was supposed to be the cornerstone of Boris Johnson’s administration. His exit after just a couple of months in fact confirms the chaos which has existed in Boris Johnson’s administration since day one.

“This is the third resignation of one of Boris Johnson’s most senior officers in only three months - following Deputy Mayor Ray Lewis and Deputy Chief of Staff James McGrath and other Deputy Mayors and top appointees are known to be at one another’s throats within City Hall.

“All this flows from Boris Johnson’s incoherent policies for London and therefore incapacity to run the city.

“While some Tory sections of the press gave a glowing evaluation of Boris Johnson’s first 100 days the reality was quite different and those following the administration closely were fully aware of the growing chaos at its heart. The resignation the First Deputy Mayor brings this chaos right out into the open.

“This latest resignation, after Boris Johnson’s Deputy Chief of Staff and his deputy Ray Lewis, indicates how unfit the Tories are not only to run London but also the country.”

UPDATE - and now the Greens’ Darren Johnson AM:

“Tim Parker is the third key figure to resign in less than four months, reflecting the rushed nature of appointments and giving an appearance of chaos in the new administration. Londoners deserve a better deal from the man they have entrusted to run their city.”

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