Questions will also be asked as to how, if he's too busy to chair the MPA, he is able to write a weekly column for The Daily Telegraph - at a salary of £250,000
Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to explain precisely why he has stepped down as chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) – just 15 months into the role and less than two years after being elected on a manifesto which pledged to “provide strong leadership” by “taking responsibility and chairing” the MPA.
It was one of five pledges made by the Mayor, the failed fulfilment of which calls into question his ability to meet the other four promises he made, to make public transport safer, tackle gun and knife crime, help the victims of sexual violence ,and provide an accountable police service.
Questions will also be asked as to how, if he’s too busy to chair the MPA, he is able to write a weekly column for The Daily Telegraph – at a salary of £250,000 – a point made by Liberal Conspiracy and in a comment on The Guardian:
“Isn’t the important point that Boris spouted on about how he would chair the MPA in his manifesto and has now gone back on that promise? Not enough time indeed? He manages to find the time to write his chicken feed Telegraph columns doesn’t he?”
Last week, the Mayor’s ‘island airport’ idea was slapped down by David Cameron, who said it was “not our policy”, adding:
“Building airports is not his responsibility”
And yesterday he refused a Freedom of Information Act request to release secret correspondence between himself and Prince Charles regarding “hugely sensitive planning decisions and major financial and political deals”, with today’s Standard asking:
“What’s to hide?”
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15 Responses to “If Boris is too busy for the police, where does he find time to write his £250k Telegraph column?”
Mark
I think Boris is a berk and a sad reminder that directly-elected mayors prove that self-regarding personality trumps policy (same is true for Ken of course, and he too wrote a newspaper column for a while).
But surely you recognise that we can all type a quick column once a week; any blogger knows that. But chairing a police authority might be a larger commitment.
If you can’t recognise the difference Shamik, then you risk being seen as scoring cheap points rather than contributing to evidence based blogging and progressive policies. I was hoping this blog would avoid the “Guidoisation” phenomenon. Alas!
Hayley Moseley
RT @leftfootfwd: If Boris is too busy for the police, where does he find time to write his £250,000 Telegraph column? http://is.gd/79Q4j
Carmen Balza
RT @leftfootfwd: If Boris is too busy for the police, where does he find time to write his £250,000 Telegraph column? http://is.gd/79Q4j
gsdog7
>;) RT @thedancingflea: It's almost as if the money had influenced Boris' decision, isn't it? How odd! #popcorn http://bit.ly/9fAlyu
Fony Blair
Maybe he trusts the professionals to do the job rather than interfering in every decision they make. Now there’s a novel idea! I can see all teh lefties scratching their heads about that one….”but surely we know best”.
To compare a role on the MPC to scribbling a few sentences for a column is hardly comparable. Evidence based as always!