Boris speaks

Water

Wonderful

Verity

Ghastly.

He seems to have adopted the destructive "multiculturalism" route. And he praised Livingstone for speaking for London on 7/7, failing to mention that Livingstone had been entertaining terrorists, at the expense of the London taxpayer, during a couple of years previously.

And he praised the corrupt garbage pile, rich with pickings for the annointed, that City Hall has become under Livinstone.

Tiberius

Verity; he has to work with the people who inhabit London and City Hall. If he starts off flicking the Vs at some of them, he'll get nowhere.

Verity

Tiberius - Yes, thank you for that lesson in Politics 101. He didn't have to mention them, except to say 'thank you'. He didn't have to keep admiringly referring to "multiculturalism" as though this had not been deployed as a weapon against the indigenes of these islands. Of course,Boris isn't an indigene so perhaps doesn't feel so strong about our heritage and mores as we do.

sean

Verity - Who exactly would you prefer to be London Mayor?

Fergus Pickering

I thoght it was everything a speech should be. Verity's speech would have been a disaster. Now that the Conservatives are in the box seat, as it were, they must all take care to ignore, politely, chivalrously even, the Verities of the country, even as Tony Blair (whom I hate but I don't discount) ignored the Labour Party (as represented by that miserable bastard Gordo) for so many years. Go Verity's route and we'll be in Gordo's position before you can say Norman Tebbit. And remember that the blessed Margaret listened to her Willy and not her Norman for all those years she went on and on and on. Boris shows the way. Cameron must follow it.

Roo

Verity- Don't be silly, define Indigene and be honest with yourself; most of us 'British' aren't if you go back a few generations.

Multiculturalism-
On that point, how much of the London populous fall under this umbrella? Boris can't be flicking the Vs at his own Constituents.

D. Menscher

Keep stickin it to em Verity.

I couldn't believe the weasel words Boris used to describe Ken Livingstone's contribution.

It's fine to be gracious if possible but this outgoing Mayor has pulled so many despicable stunts on the 'indigenes' - and yes there is such a grouping, Roo, you can shove your 'we all had to come from somewhere' drivel.

Let's hope Boris was just saving embarrassment at the podium to get rid of this damaged and damaging individual.

Tiberius and Fergus P. You as well with your Macheavellian concerns for pragmatism: anyone in the office who wants to cling on to Livingstone's way of doing things, they should be given the morning to clear their desks.

Fergus Pickering

What is an indigene? Do you mean somebody born in England? Which Boris wasn't. Neither was I, come to that. Or is it someone born in London and still living there, never having lived anywhere else? I lived in London for eight years when I was little, and for fifteen years when I wasn't. Suppose I moved back to London now. Would I be an indegene? I take it all the rats that live in the sewers are indegenes.