Boris Johnson, the new Tory Mayor of London, is one of the most colourful characters in British politics. With his shock of blond hair, bumbling manner and flair for a soundbite, he has rarely been out of the headlines since entering public life. Boris being elected, ending Ken Livingstone's eight-year reign at City Hall, put further pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown after his party suffered its worst council election results in four decades.
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, born 19 June 1964, better known as Boris Johnson, is an American-born British politician. He is also a journalist and author, formerly serving as editor of The Spectator. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Henley in 2001 and was Shadow Minister for Higher Education. Boris describes himself as a "one man melting-pot", with French, Turks & Germans among his ancestors.
Listen to his famous quotes:
"My chances of being PM (prime minister) are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being reincarnated as an olive."
"I'm down with the ethnics. You can't out-ethnic me, Nihal ... My children are a quarter Indian, so put that in your pipe and smoke it."
"if gay marriage was OK - and I was uncertain on the issue - then I saw no reason in principle why a union should not be consecrated between three men, as well as two men, or indeed three men and a dog."
The Mayor's job
London is a global city, a pre-eminent cultural centre, an economic powerhouse and a place of unparalleled opportunity. The capital needs the kind of leadership only an elected Mayor can provide; one strong voice to speak up for our city's interests and assure our pivotal position in the country and the world.
By and large, having this office has helped London, not hindered it. But City Hall's vast team of spin doctors can't change the fact that people want more from their Mayor: more common sense, more consideration, more bang for their buck.
It's time to move on to a new style of government in London
I will be Mayor for all London and all Londoners; my job as Mayor will be to promote understanding, integration and harmony. There will be an end to the current system of cronyism, divide-and-rule and consultation by box-ticking. I will make City Hall more accountable. Information about Mayoral advisors will be available on the web with their contact details and their register of interests will also be available online. I will stand up for London on every issue that matters, whether it falls under the Mayoral remit or not. Above all, I will be the Mayor who listens to Londoners.
http://www.backboris.com/about/index.php
