The scene outside University of London Union at around 6.15 yesterday evening. A whole squad of Boris-fanciers was handing out letters to people as they went in to the Time Out hustings. It read:
"Dear Time Out Hustings Attendee,You may have heard some media reports about tonight's Time Out Hustings. Running for mayor I have attended a number of hustings this year and was disappointed that Time Out changed the date of their event, which made it impossible to hear from you this evening.
Instead I am due to speak to a group of local newspaper editors - an event I am unable to cancel.
I am sorry that the mayor has missed so many husting this year, such as addressing young people in Islington about gun and knife crime, attending the Damilola Taylor Centre, and an important small business hustings with the FSB.
Londoners are starting to ask - 'Where is Ken?'."
I believe this is known as "instant rebuttal."
Dave,
What do you make of the fact that one of the Back Boris people there was insisting - even when argued back against with both reported and BCS figures - that "crime is up" in London as a result of Ken Livingstone's tenure as Mayor?
Are we being naïve to assume that campaigners normally only use facts to back up their campaigning, or are Team Boris being unusually dishonest?
It smacks of BNP 'say anything to get elected' tactics to me, but then I am obviously biased!
Posted by: Stop Boris | April 04, 2008 at 08:15 AM