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| Five things in more need of Boris Johnson's attention than Churchill | Five things in more need of Boris Johnson's attention than Churchill |
| (4 months later) | |
| Boris Johnson announced yesterday that he plans to spend the next year writing a biography of Winston Churchill. In the press release for the book he explains that: "the point of the 'Churchill Factor' is that one man can make all the difference." And he's right. History has shown us that with enough determination, one man (or woman) really can make all the difference. So rather than spend the next year writing about Winston Churchill, why not instead spend it improving the lives of Londoners? | Boris Johnson announced yesterday that he plans to spend the next year writing a biography of Winston Churchill. In the press release for the book he explains that: "the point of the 'Churchill Factor' is that one man can make all the difference." And he's right. History has shown us that with enough determination, one man (or woman) really can make all the difference. So rather than spend the next year writing about Winston Churchill, why not instead spend it improving the lives of Londoners? |
| The city faces a growing housing crisis, spiralling living costs and a widening chasm between the richest and poorest in society. If he really wants to make a difference then he should put down his ballpoint pen, eject his World at War box set and get to work. So with that in mind, here are five policy areas Johnson should be spending his time on: | The city faces a growing housing crisis, spiralling living costs and a widening chasm between the richest and poorest in society. If he really wants to make a difference then he should put down his ballpoint pen, eject his World at War box set and get to work. So with that in mind, here are five policy areas Johnson should be spending his time on: |
| 1. Bearing down on fares | 1. Bearing down on fares |
| Before the election Boris promised to "bear down on fares" which he said would "go down in an honest and sustainable way". He has since signed off plans for fares to go up above inflation every year for the foreseeable future. At the same time he has diverted hundreds of millions of pounds to his "next generation Routemaster bus". Most Londoners don't care whether a bus has a hole in the back or not. They do care whether or not they will need a bank loan to pay for their travelcards | Before the election Boris promised to "bear down on fares" which he said would "go down in an honest and sustainable way". He has since signed off plans for fares to go up above inflation every year for the foreseeable future. At the same time he has diverted hundreds of millions of pounds to his "next generation Routemaster bus". Most Londoners don't care whether a bus has a hole in the back or not. They do care whether or not they will need a bank loan to pay for their travelcards |
| 2. Removing London's dependence on the car | 2. Removing London's dependence on the car |
| Road traffic has declined significantly in London since the mayoralty was set up. A decade of investment in public transport means that the city is now the only region in the UK with fewer cars than households. However, rising fares and Boris's decision to scale back the congestion charge, means that road traffic levels are beginning to go back up again. Johnson also wants to spend billions more on two new Thames road crossings. He should scrap these plans and work to give south-east London the public transport infrastructure that it really needs. | Road traffic has declined significantly in London since the mayoralty was set up. A decade of investment in public transport means that the city is now the only region in the UK with fewer cars than households. However, rising fares and Boris's decision to scale back the congestion charge, means that road traffic levels are beginning to go back up again. Johnson also wants to spend billions more on two new Thames road crossings. He should scrap these plans and work to give south-east London the public transport infrastructure that it really needs. |
| 3. Ending rough sleeping | 3. Ending rough sleeping |
| Johnson promised to end rough sleeping by 2012. Instead rough sleeping actually went up by 43% last year. Dealing with this issue, may not be as glamorous as posing with air hostesses inside a cable car, but it matters far more. Boris has so far declined to set a new deadline for ending rough sleeping. The release date for his new Churchill biography seems as good a time as any. | Johnson promised to end rough sleeping by 2012. Instead rough sleeping actually went up by 43% last year. Dealing with this issue, may not be as glamorous as posing with air hostesses inside a cable car, but it matters far more. Boris has so far declined to set a new deadline for ending rough sleeping. The release date for his new Churchill biography seems as good a time as any. |
| 4. Resist cuts to emergency services | 4. Resist cuts to emergency services |
| Johnson promised to increase police numbers, resist A&E closures and show a "Stalingrad-like defence" against government cuts. Instead, police numbers have fallen, many A&E centres face the axe, and Boris has announced plans to close dozens of fire and police stations. All of this is going ahead without the mayor lifting a finger. If this is what he meant by a Stalingrad-like defence, then it doesn't bode well for his skills as an historian. | Johnson promised to increase police numbers, resist A&E closures and show a "Stalingrad-like defence" against government cuts. Instead, police numbers have fallen, many A&E centres face the axe, and Boris has announced plans to close dozens of fire and police stations. All of this is going ahead without the mayor lifting a finger. If this is what he meant by a Stalingrad-like defence, then it doesn't bode well for his skills as an historian. |
| 5. Invest in London's economy | 5. Invest in London's economy |
| Johnson recently released a report calling for the powers and financial independence enjoyed by many other city mayors. This is a noble aim but if he really wants a bigger role, then he should first show us what he can do with his current role. Earlier this year the government expressed their "serious concern" about his failure to spend £111m of infrastructure funds that they'd awarded him. He should use that money alongside his £16.5bn mayoral budget to come up with radical new ways to boost London's economy. Boosting sales of biographies in Charing Cross Road bookshops doesn't really count. | Johnson recently released a report calling for the powers and financial independence enjoyed by many other city mayors. This is a noble aim but if he really wants a bigger role, then he should first show us what he can do with his current role. Earlier this year the government expressed their "serious concern" about his failure to spend £111m of infrastructure funds that they'd awarded him. He should use that money alongside his £16.5bn mayoral budget to come up with radical new ways to boost London's economy. Boosting sales of biographies in Charing Cross Road bookshops doesn't really count. |
| Last year Johnson told aides that he planned to govern London on an unofficial part-time basis after the Olympics. True to his word, he has since delegated many of his duties to underlings and deputies. With so much time to spare, his Churchill biography should be a huge success. It should also succeed in its main aim of feeding speculation about his leadership ambitions. But for now, Johnson's official job remains as the mayor of London. | Last year Johnson told aides that he planned to govern London on an unofficial part-time basis after the Olympics. True to his word, he has since delegated many of his duties to underlings and deputies. With so much time to spare, his Churchill biography should be a huge success. It should also succeed in its main aim of feeding speculation about his leadership ambitions. But for now, Johnson's official job remains as the mayor of London. |
| And as one of the eight million Londoners who pay his wages, I'd appreciate it if he spent just a little more time worrying about our prospects, and a little less time worrying about his own. | And as one of the eight million Londoners who pay his wages, I'd appreciate it if he spent just a little more time worrying about our prospects, and a little less time worrying about his own. |
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