Boris for Prime Minister?

wonderfulforhisage

I've just commented on another Specie article - "Would that he were the PM in waiting"

My guess is that, were he the current leader, the Tories would be over 50% in the polls.

donald fraser

Industrial action on the London Underground shut the Victoria Line on the day Boris delivered a speech to the London Book Fair on budget day. The first time a London Mayor has given a public address to the show and full of the world’s decision-makers in the printed media.

Boris’s main problem is that Red Ken’s men can hold to political ransom Boris and Parliament with obvious ease, strong union men after years of patronage via city Hall. Boris is likely to face an increasing militant coalition of London’s transport and utility workers. The legacy of Red Ken is empty coffers and Boris will be increasingly bogged down in trying to appease the militants rather than implement the changes he would wish. Cameron will be faced with a London backlash and Boris blamed for incompetency by the time the General Election looms.

My advice to Boris is let London strike. It will happen anyway because the mayoralty is a poison chalice for the Cameron government in waiting. Margaret Thatcher had to endure wave after wave of union strikes before the unions were tamed. Start early and get it over with! Don’t compromise on principles of a change in governance you are elected to implement.

What about the damage to Cameron’s election chances? Forget it. Even when you won the mayoralty Cameron was not on target to win because his popularity in the South of England is not enough statistically to win without a northern revival.

Can Cameron still win the general election as London is ground to a halt under wave after wave of union action? Yes because the London Mayoralty is the closest thing to a regional assembly to exist in England. What is now required is an election promise from Cameron to create regional assemblies in order to revive Tory fortunes in the North. You are in the best position to press for regional assemblies to become the new Tory policy and educated enough in the classics to realise they do not require referendums to be constituted.

So what is a regional assembly when constituted without referendum? They are located in the most pleasant surroundings (Harrogate for the Yorkshire one) because pay should not be reason to seek election. Second homes in beautiful surroundings will go down well in the North because we have never had such luxury. They are not about the devolution of power. They sweep away many two-tier local governments in the process and the anonymous, grey bureaucrats fixated on regulating every aspect of Northern life from secretive hideaways. Regional assemblies have television cameras broadcasting their elected, popularising the concept of accountability at a local level the “man in the street” can watch and understand.

This would get Cameron elected, despite any loss of vote in the South as a consequence of London facing unionised strife. The only devolution in power would be to let Northerners decide if they really can afford to take-up all the green issues Cameron champions, via his constituted regional assemblies of course.

Heironymous Bosch

Above anything else, the man has a personality.

Verity

If Boris can knock Cameron off his perch - a big if, because social democrat Cameron is going to cling on like a limpet - the Tories will win the next election with a large enough majority to bury the socialists for generations.

People are rightly suspicious that Cameron has an agenda beyond that of PM of Great Britain.

If Cameron is still Leader when the next election takes place, it will be a hung Parliament, with people drifting off to other parties or, not being able to bring themselves to vote for Cameron, skipping the election entirely. I have never read one enthusiastic endorsement of Cameron, from a member of the public, on any blog. They will turn out to vote for Boris Johnson.

Verity

Donald Fraser - Regional assemblies! Good God, man! More people to govern the formerly freeborn British? We want fewer, not more!

Steve.W

The Tories win at Crewe and Nantwich was vital on the road to a General Election victory. But who can remember the name of the winner? This is not the mans fault (Edward Timpson), it reflects that MP's are now not so important following the EU's trashing of our parliament. But Boris Johnson wins London and is seldom out of the news. Nulabour tried to stop both and failed but London was the really big prize. If the idea of elected mayors takes off it would be the ideal route for wannabes to go. Georgia Gould take note!

Dr J

Boris would be a decent and effective PM, but by the time he has the chance the Tories will have been in power for around a decade and will therefore be loathed and despised. This is the fate of all governments - why would Boris Johnson want to go from loved by the nation to loathed by the nation all for four years as PM?

Verity

Steve W - Why should beefy 22-year Georgina Gould take note? I mean, going through all that grinding stuff standing for mayor and having to engage with the voters! It could take years to get into the Hoc! When daddy's already bought a rotten borough for one without having to actually engage with the bloody proles! I mean, point, please?

JONNY

If Tories are seriously thinking of using Boris as a kitchen knife to stick into Cameron's back,it's the lousiest, stupidest idea of this week.
In fact kamikazily suicidal.

Geoffrey Warner

If Boris Johnson's support for selective schools, as stated in his interview with Mary Wakefield in the current issue of The Spectator and in a piece in The Daily Telegraph earlier in the week, were to become Conservative Party policy, I would not only vote but actively campaign for them at the next general election whether he was leader or not. As it is, I shall do neither.

watervole

There is no such thing as a 'due reward'. The task should be its own reward. Brown is living proof.

Brian Smith

In the meantime, most of us want Brown to go - why not do your bit at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/please-go/

Gervas Douglas

Boris has twice the intellect of Dave and George combined. He also inspires a desire in a wide range of people to see him succeed. These are exceptional political gifts.

Corin

Regional assemblies?! The North said,"NO!" to Prescott when he raised the question.

paul gilboy

isn't it a bit early to be jockeying for the big job. labour have not been beaten yet.
everyone here thinks labour are finished a reality check is in order.
There better organise better disciplined and have won thre times on the trot. Just because you read the telegraph and the spectator and listen to like minded people does not mean labour are finished. Some of us are concerned about liberty first but the vast majority don't give a flying.
The tories have real issues cameron comes across as principled as a mouse, osbourne was chewed up by paxman like a mensturating school girl. whilst boris scraped in against a man so repugnent even his own suits crawl away.
these are not good omens.