Mayor of London, Can Boris really win?
So it's official, the Conservatives finally have a candidate to take on Mayor of London Ken Livingstone next May. It took them a long time to get here, several bizarre daliences with certain people, and finally it comes down to what we now know.
First the Tories tried to team up with the Lib Dems to get Greg Dyke to run, a man as far away from Conservatiism as it gets. Then they tried to get Digby Jones, then Director General of the CBI, to stand as their candidate. He is now of course a Labour minister in the Lords, how fickle political allegences can be in the modern day and age.
And now, tep up none other than Boris Johnson. He has today confirmed he will make a bid for the biggest office in London. If he wins he will become the most powerful conservative in Britian, Boris Johnson, fancy that.
Boris of course came to national fame after being given a complete mauling on the TV comedy show 'Have I Got News For You,' particularly by Ian Hislop. Thsi went down so well, he appeared again, and then again, and before long Boris was a national phenomonon, with many university groups up and down the land claiming our Boris should by PM.
Before his appearences on the show, he was a little known Daily Telegraph journalist with a Tory edge to his articles as many Telegraph journalists tend to do. By now however he was on any TV show that would take him. He has since even hosted on a number of occasions the show that made him famous and he has driven cars with Jeremy Clarkson on 'Top Gear.'
He is gaffe prone too. His well publicised affair with Petronoella Wyatt did not go down too well with traditional Tories. His attack on the people of Liverpool infuriated then leader Michael Howard, he has also managed to alienate the people of Portsmouth, Papua New Guinea and been not too nice about Jamie Oliver's healthy eating campaigns.
But the people of Liverpool, Portsmouth and Papau New Guinea don't get a vote in the contest for Mayor of London. Whats more Boris Johnson is the sort of man whom, to his fans, pretty much gets away with anything. His opponent is gaffe prone to, Mr Livingstone's comparison of a Jewish journalist to 'concentration camp guard' was not exactly good manners, and deeply offensive to many in the Jewish community.
So Boris Vs Red Ken. Can Boris really win? Go on any news site where readers are invited to add comments and you will get an inevitable split down the middle. Everything from 'Boris you are great, Boris for mayor, GO Boris!!!' to 'Boris is a complete buffoon who stands no chance.' and every possible view in between. Some say they would rather vote for a prize pig rather than Red Ken, others retort if they vote for Boris, they are close to doing just that. One thing is for sure, the early signs are Boris Johnson has raised the passions and tempreature of this debate. This may just be the most facinating political battle in the UK for over a decade. Mr Livingstone, Mr Johnson, bring it on!!! I can't wait!!!!
