Boris Watch

Dave Hill reports on the complete lack of the promised new, tough transparency on the financial interests of the Mayor’s most senior appointment, Tim Parker, First Deputy Mayor.
His manifesto on accountability promised to "Introduce tough new rules for Mayoral advisers to ensure their interests are declared and in the open" (page 3) and "Strengthen the [...]

Dave writes that, contrary to previous reports, Tim Parker - the man holding Boris’s right hand - will not submit a Register of Interest to the GLA website. Simon Barnes and Kit Malthouse have already, but it seems that Parker - “one of the UK’s most successful businessmen with an impressive track record in a [...]

Remember the Forensic Audit Panel? They’re Boris’ crack squad of independent figures appointed to root through the previous regime’s finances - two of whom lead Tory Councils. And, it emerges, a third is simply a party member:
Patience Wheatcroft
1(a)(ii)(cc) – I am a member of or hold a position of general control or management of the [...]

Far more interesting than the statements of James McGrath are the Conservative reactions to them. At David Cameron’s press conference today, he was asked a question regarding the sacking of the adviser, and replied that:
“I think Boris has acted very quickly and rightly.”
Why, then, are the Guardian and Reuters reporting that ‘Johnson consulted David Cameron, [...]

One last point on this evening’s surprising story.
I was just pondering exactly when the BBC London footage of Boris not knowing anything about the whole axed anti-racism business was filmed.
The story first broke on Dave Hill’s blog at lunchtime on Sunday, snowballing through various other blogs and media enquiries and so forth, with the news [...]

From the comments on my previous post it sounds like tonight’s BBC London footage [relevant clip starts 43 seconds in] hadn’t aired before and therefore came as just as much of a shock to everyone else as it did to me and Mrs. Stop Boris (who picked her jaw up off the floor in time [...]

In the wake of what it wouldn’t surprise me to find the mainstream media calling Memorandumgate, BBC London tonight finally noticed that Boris might not actually be in control of his brief, shall we say.
They just ran a rather revealing report, which contained astonishing footage I hadn’t previously seen (although I was in Scotland when [...]

On the Today programme, Boris was asked questions about a memorandum of understanding, which pledges that Londoners, in the case of Olympic overspending, will not suffer from an “increase in the Council Tax precept or an increase in Fares”.
Boris “ha[dn't] seen” the document, but was sure that it was “not central to the issue“. Later, [...]

Following the Rise revelations, Munira Mirza has been rushed into action with an article for Comment is Free. Titled ‘Doing anti-racism for real’, it appears to be a poorly veiled attempt to discredit its promotion.
The article is in quotes and my comments are bolded.
“To give some background: in 1996 the Trades Union Congress and various [...]

Further to Mr. Stop Boris’ post on Rise: London United Against Racism comes the news that Boris only tells certain people certain things. Here’s the official press release on this year’s festival:
The Rise festival is a free event organised by the Greater London Authority and supported by Canary Wharf, Transport for London, British Transport Police [...]