'I'm prejudiced in his favour'

Some advice for Boris from a proud father

Stanley Johnson

18 July 2007

Stanley Johnson says that his son is no buffoon, that his ability to make people laugh doesn’t mean he’s a lightweight, and that he should not get bogged down in ‘consultation’

Around five p.m. on Monday afternoon, as I was escorting some of my (11) grandchildren down to the beach for a swim in the Pagasitic Gulf, my mother-in-law rang my mobile to say she had just read the Evening Standard where Boris had written a piece setting out his first ideas.

‘He thinks Londoners deserve a debate,’ Lois said. ‘He says he’s not a toff but a one-man multicultural phenomenon with Jewish, Turkish, French and English ancestors. He’s going to set up groups to advise on policy.’

I’m just the daddy here and of course I understand the need for talking to people and so forth. But I would appeal to Boris, in what will probably be my only communication of this sort, not to become too involved in the process of consultation. Ken Livingstone is past his sell-by date. Your job is to kick him out. Your strength will be to do what you, not other people (however well-intentioned), think and if political correctness suffers a battering in the process, so be it.

You may have to wing it from time to time. But if you can play Richard II in the Cloisters without knowing the part, you’ll probably get away with it.

Whatever the outcome of the mayoral election (I put my money on Boris, but I would, wouldn’t I?), we’re in for a fun ride. Could a proud father ask for more?