Boris Johnson

I asked someone who works for his organisation what she thought. Nothing of note in terms of managing the internal aspects (some good and some hopeless teams below him) but that he is good ambassador for City and good "front man". In other words not, in her opinion, a "shaker upper" focussed on managing the show but someone who is outwardly focussed.

Sorry, whitewave, I misremembered your post (wonder where 'nasty' came from? Perhaps subconsciously I don't actually like him that much....)

Boris is Boris, Churchill was Churchill, Don't say we have no comparison, we can compare anything. Difficult to compare "like for like" here, but Boris is not as dumb as he likes to portray. If it is for the benefit of himself or for the populace in general is the question that has to be confronted by those that have the job of voting him "in", or not.Often you are only given a choice of evils, pick one, because one will get the position by default anyway,Chose the lesser, if you can figure out who that might be.

ww, I doubt if he would go for a seat in the near future - he couldn't while he retained the mayoralty: this is not France! LM's seat is one that has frequently changed hands and Labour will have high hopes of winning it. Boris wouldn't be fool enough to take the risk - surely!

Boris is a strategist. It is not the right time for him whist he can bask in the glory of the Olympic success. It might bu **er his chances on the night of the long knives, when it comes, to take on the leadership/PM role! he is just horrid!

Patrick Moore thinks female newsreaders are a joke. Haven't watched him since I knew this.

Patrick Moore? Am I missing something?
Boris has a turkish granddaughter? pogs ?

One of his Turkish forebears was executed by Kamal Ataturk, according to 'Who do you think you are?' Colourful history!

I thought it was a grandfather. He certainly has furriners in his ancestry - so if he did by some quirk become PM I can imagine some people accusing him of therefore being part of a Muslim conspiracy, as rabid Americans have accused President Obama.

It probably was, Elegran. I used the term 'forebear' as a cover-all because I wasn't quite sure of the relationship.

That was just my memory of it. It could have been a different relation.

Isn't it amusing that a man who has come to be known as a quintessential English eccentric has such an interesting family background? An advertisement for multi-culturalism?

Absolutely !!!

I think he's more an advertisement for broadly adopting the culture of your home country instead of resisting it.

He's never struck me as a clown at all but I've never seen him on TV so maybe that's where that happens. If you read what he writes, he only appears articulate and intelligent, even if you don't agree with his views.

Integration, in other words.

Or, I should say, an other word.

Jess M

Ooops I made a boo boo. Not GD but GF? (I was thinking grandad)

It was his grandfather who was Turkish. As I said previously 'Who do you think you are' covered his family tree and it was absolutely fascinating. Watch it if it ever comes on again, like him or not it was one of the best ones.

His grandfather had to leave Turkey as he was both a journalist and member of the government at the time of Ataturk. He was informed of his life being in danger and I beleive he went to France. BJ wanted to trace his grandmothers side of the family, she was known to him as Granny Butter and the show chased the history of a silver tea set which she had made claim to being from royalty. It was, German royalty, after BJ great gradmother had a daughter, I beleive, out of wedlock with a German Prince. The German prince could trace his family back to(I beleive) our royal family. All good stuff and it was very interesting.

POGS you know your stuff , where do you get it from , are u in yea , Boris camp ? or that a presumption ?

Nonu.

I don't have an opinion really on him. I certainly don't understand nasty comments as I don't find him a horrid man, could think of worse people in politics for sure. He does make me smile and I think he is genuinely not staging his persona, it is very similar to his dad, what I've seen of him. Have I Got News was so funny it launched him to the public so in a way it was just luck that has followed him. Having said that Londoners did'nt like Ken Livingstone did they so he was the only one in the running.

I just remember the programme because it was so good, like a lot of others such as Carol Verdmann and Barbara Windsor who had very interesting stories too.

Beware the clever fool. Shakespeare knew a thing or two about him!
I suspect that behind the buffoonery lies an extremely clever, calculating and ambitious Boris who has learned from an early age how to charm and joke himself out of trouble. He makes me laugh. He's a breath of political fresh air. Trust him?
Think not!

Entertainment value = high
Way with words = high
Getting things done value = questionable
PR skills = high (e.g. manages to turn the expensive bike scheme to his advantage)
Ethical standards = no evidence of their existence as yet

i'm with you boomerBabe

JessM what about political manifesto? Currently I think he goes with the flow but have yest to see him assert his own agenda.

People slated Ken L but he worked very hard for London.

nanaej , ken livingstone was a NOT very nice person , they say Boris is self serving , old kenny boy left him standing

Ken Livingstone can take the credit for being partially instrumental in getting the Olympics for London, though now Boris is getting all the kudos.