London: Mayor & More

Paddick Bashes Rail Boss

Poor Sir Ian. First Boris and now Brian thinks he shouldn't have got that gong.

Ken, Harrow & Diversity

Bit of a tiff in the Tory borough.

My Debut On Guardian Politics Site

I feel very honoured. It's here.

Blears To Biff Boris

From Boulton and Co:

"It's an unusual compliment to say the least - describing him as 'A nasty, right-wing elitist, with odious views and criminal friends like Conrad Black,' as [Hazel] Blears is expected to say. But it is a compliment nonetheless, in that the full-blooded assault on Johnson launched at today's Labour Spring Conference represents an acknowedgment that the Tory mayoral candidate needs to be taken seriously. 'Boris is no joke,' Blears will stress...If some in the Labour high command had expected the Johnson campaign to implode at some point, plainly they now recognise that they can't rely on his self-destructive streak to hand them victory on a plate."

Quite. But, as commenter Elizabeth Davies - of Cape Town - observes:

"Careful Hazel this tactic could backfire, Hillary Clinton has tried that tactic on Obama and it hasn't worked yet. Be careful what you pray for!"

Quite, again.

The Case Of The Cigar Case, Er, Case

The business of Boris Johnson and his liberation of Tariq Aziz's smoking kit is a micro-model of media spin. I don't know who gave the Telegraph the letter he was sent by the police, asking for it back. But I do know that Boris's paper's coverage of it has been constructed as an indictment of the Met's top man:

"Scotland Yard has privately conceded that it blundered in launching an investigation into the alleged theft by Boris Johnson of a cigar case owned by Saddam Hussein's former deputy prime minister, according to sources. The first that Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, knew about the inquiry into Mr Johnson, the Conservative candidate in the London Mayoral contest, was when he read about it in yesterday's Daily Telegraph."

Love it.

Where's Boris Been?

Twickenham, this afternoon. But don't quote me.

Paddick's Housing Manifesto

Is it me or has there been next to no coverage of Brian Paddick's housing manifesto, published on Tuesday? Well, here's some to help make up for that.

Martin Bright Responds

Not a signatory of the Compass letter, surprise, surprise.

Labour Anxiety

I've argued that if Livingstone is to win he needs to up his game. Now a fellow Hackney blogger and Labour Councillor is asking his party to do the same.

Why Vote Livingstone?

Why did Anthony Barnett of Our Kingdom website sign the Compass letter in (qualified) support of Livingstone? Let's find out.