Home Business NewsPolitics NewsBoris' inbox reveals life of London mayor

Boris' inbox reveals life of London mayor

by LLB Editor
28th Dec 11 9:51 am

Mayor of London Boris Johnson will fight to hold onto his City Hall office in May, but a look through his inbox shows the job is not all about high-powered politics in one of the worldโ€™s largest cities.

Requests to join Army paratroopers on a skydive and to pen his favourite recipe have landed in Johnsonโ€™s inbox since he became mayor of London. Johnson has also been asked about โ€œBoris bikesโ€ for district nurses, while a survivor of the July 7 terrorist attacks got in touch wanting to be involved at the Olympic Games.

The mayor also receives strong criticism from some and fan mail from others, with one writer enjoying Johnsonโ€™s โ€œstraight-to-the-point and believable attitudeโ€ and concluding โ€œhopefully (we) will see you some day at No 10โ€.

A Freedom of Information request for copies of emails sent to and from Johnsonโ€™s official City Hall account reveal how the mayorโ€™s office takes an interest in the minutiae of public services across London.

The mayor said London Underground was โ€œunlikelyโ€ to sanction a request for accredited buskers to sell their CDs and other merchandise in Tube stations on September 10 last year.

However, Johnson was more receptive to the idea of extra docking stations for his bicycle-hire scheme being installed in locations convenient for district nurses in Islington.

The emails show how Johnson has split public opinion since becoming mayor in May 2008.

In September of that year, a supporter based in Northern Ireland told Johnson: โ€œOf late I have come to admire your straight-to- the-point and believable attitude that you put across with the greatest of ease and in such a unique and fun fashionโ€ฆ

โ€œIโ€ฆ can only dream of someone somewhere entering into local politics here with the Boris attitude and help make a difference.

โ€œI look forward to seeing you go from strength to strength, and hopefully will see you some day at No 10 and we will then finally have a PM that is worth his salt.โ€

But others were not so effusive in their praise of Johnson, with one critic writing: โ€œDear Boris, please resign. You (are) clever and funny and that, but to be honest, it ainโ€™t enough. You are a bad Mayor and should leave quicklyโ€ฆ

โ€œAll the best in your new job (so long as it doesnโ€™t involve power or the UK).โ€

A number of Johnsonโ€™s replies reveal how hectic a schedule he keeps. The phrase โ€œI am alas snowed under, and mustnโ€™t take anything else on at the momentโ€ crops up in a number of his responses.

Johnson replied to a questionnaire about London and his role by saying the task was โ€œvery, very difficultโ€ but โ€œeasily the best job I have ever hadโ€.

Leave a Comment

CLOSE AD

Sign up to our daily news alerts

[ms-form id=1]