I produced the blog at boris-johnson.com and – as with Tom Watson’s blog – moved to a hands-off position once a working machine and admin team had been established. These days, I only ever turn up in that part of the world if there’s a crisis. That endorsement, though approved for publication by Boris, was drafted by the lovely Melissa. Saying that I know Boris ‘well’ is a stretch.

Now that’s out of the way; if Andrew Gilligan has been taking lessons in online etiquette from the wonks at Policy Exchange, he is taking advice from the wrong people (I’ve traced at least one sock-puppet back to that organisation). But, now we’ve enjoyed the input of David Boothroyd , this appears to be a bad habit going back decades for A.G.

The Autocar/Capoco design – despite the suggest given by the Evening Standard – has not been entered for the competition.

Capoco boss Alan Ponsford has entered what he told me was a ‘very detailed proposal’ but I haven’t seen it.

Nor have I seen Boris. Or even talked to him. Or anybody who knows him. Met him once, last November to show him the Autocar Routemaster. Shorter than I expected (Boris, not the bus) and very cautious.

‘I’m not committing myself to anything, here, I am,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to see heads about billions being spent.’

I’m delighted that the old warriors like David Brown (with whom I sparred on the letters pages of The Times last Christmas) and Hendy on the competition committee.

‘Cos if these old Leninites give it the thumbs up, you lot will have to fall into line.

Won’t you?

PS – I’ve given my considered reasons for the pushing the Autocar design on Dave Hill’s blog.

I think that it is absolutely right for Shawcross to ask questions about this issue: that is the job of an Assembly Member. And we need to defend the principle of taking decisions on the basis of the best available data and not a priori assumptions. I’m fairly certain that there will be more attacks from various people (real or imaginary) accusing questioners of being obsessed or defending the indefensible, but my experience of other issues (such as Weapons of Masss Destruction) leads me to think that it is because they don’t particularly want to look at the facts or even take decisions based on hard data.