Print Story Boris so far
Politics
By nebbish (Fri May 30, 2008 at 10:06:49 AM EST) (all tags)
We're only a month into Boris's Mayorality, but let's have a quick look at what he's done for London so far.


Scrapped the energy deal with Venezuala. Ideologically this was a pretty dodgy deal, associating Londoners with a rather repressive, personality cult-style government. In practical terms though I think it was quite valuable, exposing Venzuala to western democractic ideas through our London advisers and getting half-price travel on public transport for people on income support in return. I'm not really sure how I stand on this one. It should be noted that Boris scrapped the deal on the grounds of cost alone though.

Banning alcohol on public transport. This is probably quite popular with the majority of Londoners, but I think it's a worthless, petty piece of legislation. The only public drinkers we need protection from are the ones who will happily flout the ban. FFS I seen people smoking crack on the tube and I'm sure that's not legal.

Furthermore, it directly infringes on my rights as a law-abiding binge drinker. Before and after a night out I enjoy nothing more than relaxing on the tube with a couple of cans of Stella or a quarter bottle of vodka. I might occassionally piss my trousers or through a feeble punch at some unsuspecting commuter, but otherwise I think I'm pretty well behaved.

Backtrack on the Trafalgar Square "fourth plinth". This was Boris's proposal to replace the policy of installing a new piece of contemporary art on the plinth every year or so with a permanant statue of a WWII war hero. Lol: Great example of "let's jump on an easy political-correctness themed bandwagon. Oh it's actually not that easy once you're in power, despite this being a very simple, small and inconsequential thing." Doesn't bode well.

Backtrack on bendy buses. Again, this seems to be about cost rather than the seemingly ignored issues over disability access. Rather than abandoned completely, the plan has gone from "will be implemented within the first two weeks" to "will be weighed up and implemented if appropriate." Again, it probably seemed like an easy political point at the time but has proved more difficult.

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I'm not saying we should judge the new mayor on the strength of a month's work, and I'm not denying that I'm biased and don't like him, but I think there is one major thing all the above have in common that really does not bode well for the future - negativity. It's all stop this, don't do that, and quite the opposite of Ken Livingstone's time as mayor.

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Boris so far | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback
Banning alcohol on public transport. by wiredog (4.00 / 2) #1 Fri May 30, 2008 at 10:44:44 AM EST
Here in DCia no food or drink is allowed on the subway. On the one hand, you get 12 year old girls arrested for eating french fries, on the other hand, the system is very clean.

It's all stop this, don't do that, I wish that was Dubya's philosophy...

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In chicago by garlic (2.00 / 0) #2 Fri May 30, 2008 at 11:00:07 AM EST
our Chicago transit bans food and drink, and our regional transit doesn't, and allows alcohol. The regional trains are actually much nicer than the L, even with the food and drink. They have conductors though, which is probably the difference.

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BART bans food and drink to by R343L (2.00 / 0) #3 Fri May 30, 2008 at 02:48:57 PM EST
The system is not very clean. So I don't think the ban has much to do with it. I don't recall ever seeing the ban enforced on the DC metro except on black teenagers (selection bias, surely on my part, but still).

Plus, if you're on an hour or longer ride, not allowing any food or drink is dangerous for people with certain health conditions. Plus it's just damn inconvenient to not be able to have water (technically) on the train.

"There will be time, there will be time / To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet." -- Eliot
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Thoughts by TheophileEscargot (4.00 / 2) #4 Sat May 31, 2008 at 11:00:32 AM EST
The energy deal doesn't seem to have got much attention. I didn't even know about it till I read this. I'd have thought there'd be more outcry considering he's doubling fares for poor people.

I'm not sure it's really on grounds of cost either. He's claiming it saves £67,000 per year which is pretty small, but since it's a 20% discount on fuel it must raise costs considerably.

On the other hand, it is a bit shabby that the not-exactly-rich Venezualans are paying for a Chavez publicity stunt.

The other stuff...

Alcohol on the tube: we need a catchy name for a "a pointless piece of legislation designed to make it look like you're addressing a problem". There's just so much of it. It's not the can of Tennants they're drinking on the Tube that's the problem, it's the ten pints they had beforehand.

Fourth plinth: not really bothered.

Bendy buses: I like them, the "New Routemaster" proposal was obviously stupid, so I suppose I approve of the backtrack. He made a huge campaign issue out of it though. Be interesting to see if his supporters actually care about the thing they went on about so much. I suspect they don't really, and providing he gets balconies welded on the back of a couple of existing double-deckers sometime they won't be too bothered.
--
"Life is too short to be interested in everything, but it is good to be interested in as many things as are necessary to fill our days."-Bertrand Russell


Plinth by nebbish (2.00 / 0) #5 Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 01:08:48 PM EST
My personal view is that the rolling art installations is a good thing. Even when they're crap they spark debate which is a good thing.

I think it's more interesting that he's had to back pedal on such an easy, populist policy. How's he going to fare on more difficult stuff?

The tube drinking ban led to chaos on Saturday night. Seven LU staff and two policemen assaulted.

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It's political correctness gone mad!
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Sadly by TheophileEscargot (4.00 / 1) #6 Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 02:19:44 PM EST
I think the trouble is going to unfairly bolster his case. "See how terrible drinking it, we must make expensive token gestures against it."

The thing is, the problem with groups of aggressive late-night drunks is that it's too expensive to patrol the whole network out of hours. It doesn't really matter whether it's a new drinking ban or old drunk and disorderly charges: it's enforcement that's the problem.

Because they had helpful advance notice of where and when this was going to happen, they're giving the impression that they'll be able to enforce the new laws effectively.

I suppose it might have some effect on tramps, since they tend to be alone, drink the office hours when they're heavily staffed, and aren't terribly formidable.
--
"Life is too short to be interested in everything, but it is good to be interested in as many things as are necessary to fill our days."-Bertrand Russell
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Boris so far | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback