Boris Watch

Boris Johnson today faced calls to replace David Ross as his representative on the London Olympics organising committee after the multimillionaire businessman quit Carphone Warehouse following an admission that he had used a large slice of his personal holding in the company to guarantee personal loans.
Despite heavy coverage of the story, the Mayor has yet [...]

Somebody at City Hall loves me – or is just doing their job, whatever – and has finally put Anthony Browne’s employment details onto the Mayor’s website.
There are a couple of amusing bits in the Job description…
6. To help promote the Mayor’s diversity policies.
9. To realise the benefits of London’s diversity by promoting and enabling [...]

For some reason Anthony Browne’s not listed under directors, despite his Register of Interests appearing elsewhere.
This may seem like an absurdly insignificant bristle to split, but I’m interested in what areas of policy this noted commentator on culture and diversity is delving into, and would like to see some kind of job description. They spent [...]

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 [...]

Nick Boles faces the London Assembly:
“The laws should be changed…”
“I didn’t read the Widdecombe provisions, I have no intention of ever reading the Widdecombe provisions…”
He was advised as to their content, apparently.

Boris has claimed that the transition team has eventually cost £213,000, which, he is keen to add, is significantly less than the previous prediction. However, he also admits that seven seemingly unacknowledged ‘transition consultants’ have cost £352,000. The eventual figure – which has only now been revealed – is greater than the combined annual wages [...]

I’ve been dashing through Boris’s answers to the questions of the London Assembly, and this caught my eye:
John Biggs:
“Do you agree with David Cameron that individuals with any ‘dealings’ in Zimbambwe should examine their conscience? Can you confirm if any of your Mayoral team or advisers who hold shares (either personally or in trust) in [...]

Anthony Browne is to become Boris’s new ‘Policy Director’, and the Mayor has excitedly announced his arrival:
“I am delighted that Anthony is joining my team at City Hall. As a policy expert in the fields of environment, health and politics for the influential Policy Exchange and a former journalist on the Times and Observer, I [...]

Following the speculation of today, Simon Milton has resigned from both of his posts, and has been nominated as Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning. He will regain his salary and join the swelling ranks at City Hall.
The Press release reads thus:
“Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has today nominated Sir Simon Milton as Deputy Mayor [...]

Boris’s controversy-ridden administration was today dealt another blow as the London Assembly voted unanimously to investigate his appointments of staff and consultants at City Hall.
The investigation will be carried out by the Business Management and Administration Committee, and they will be focusing on four questions:

How did Mayor Boris Johnson pick his senior City Hall policy [...]