Further to my earlier post on this, a little more detail:
I went to Balliol with Boris, studying philosophy with him there and working with him at the Oxford Union, and I have touched base with him off and on in the years since. What most people who don't know him don't realise is Boris's ruthlessness (as well as opportunism) as a politician. Much of what Boris does, if my experience is anything to go by, is very calculated; his self-presentation as slightly buffoon-like is mostly deliberate. He does what he thinks will bring him publicity and affection. And he is not at all averse to deceiving people in the process. For example: At Oxford, I was [for my sins...] President of the O.U Social Democratic Club; Boris sometimes presented himself as sympathetic with the SDP in order to curry favour with sections of the student body http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/pandora/a-youthful-flirtation-comes-back-to-haunt-boris-410843.html . His self-presentation nowadays as green-leaning is, I fear, a piece of equally opportunistic and calculated spin.
I hope that Londoners will vote Sian Berry 1, Ken Livingstone 2 on May 1st. A victory for Boris would yield a few laughs, but would be a dreadfully-regressive step back in time for our nation's capital city.
Posts
5 comments:
I can't begin to understand how any observant English person could possibly believe that Boris is actually cuddly / dumb blond / thick or any of that.
Just googled Boris ruthless right-wing and got a few hits.
Apparently he is like Tony Benn, at least in so far as they both seem to think that being Muslim is genetic;
http://www.democracyforum.co.uk/conservative-party-general-issues/45206-i-m-proud-my-muslim-ancestry-says-tory-london-mayor-candidate-boris-johnson-mp-3.html
His great sense of humour is, of course, his most dangerous weapon of all in our modern frivolous age.
Boris Johnson, thanks to the Greens in London stating their political preference, is now the underdog, thats regrettable but inevitable from a relatively unknown Green candidate who just joined five years ago and reflects the large majority of Greens who like democracy, but have been brought up in a FPTP system. Eventually these characteristics will taint their every doing. ingo
Boris Johnson, thanks to the Greens in London stating their political preference, is now the underdog, thats regrettable but inevitable from a relatively unknown Green candidate who just joined five years ago and reflects the large majority of Greens who like democracy, but have been brought up in a FPTP system. Eventually these characteristics will taint their every doing. ingo
I deleted the previous one because the link did not work.
My question was, do you think that Sian could win a few more votes?
http://www.engageonline.org.uk/
blog/article.php?id=1802
Also read the comments there.
Post a Comment