Four Views Of That Debut Press Conference

First, there's the view out of the ninth floor window. Then there's the view of Conservative Home, which contrasts somewhat with that of the Tory Troll. Finally, my view as written for Guardian Politics:

At this transitional time it helps to remember that the London mayoralty is very new – a mere eight years old - and that there’s only been one previous holder of the office. We should, therefore, expect and be patient with a degree of institutional confusion as Boris Johnson and his team get their feet under Ken Livingstone’s old desks and reposition them to suit their tastes. Even so, this morning’s press conference underlined that Mayor Boris And His Many Deputies will provide very different form of political entertainment from that of Ken And The Comrades.

“I want to be as open as it is possible to be without imposing on your time, ladies and gentlemen,” the new incumbent said during his opening address. “I hope we’ll be able to give you pretty good access...” The small silence that followed might have seemed larger than it really was. “Yes? No?,” the mayor inquired nervously, then added. “Uh, all I can say is it’s often difficult to fit in all the interviews that we would like,’ which seemed like an acknowledgement that the access was, in fact, unlikely to be as good as some of those present desired.

Plunging on, he invoked his new friend Michael Bloomberg as an exemplar of mayoral openness. “He goes out and about in New York, opening this and that, talking to people, and that’s what I’m going to be doing around London...talking to people about the issues that matter to them. And you are more than welcome of course, to come along and put your questions.” Then he asked if people would mind not ringing him so often on his mobile phone. “My natural politeness.” he said, sometimes led him to give “accidental interviews” that got him into trouble.

This was Boris’s blather-and-quip defence, one he often deploys in moments of stress. I quite like it: it’s unconvincing, and therefore deeply human. But hardened City Hall hacks remain unhappy. The gathering was wound up after just half an hour and there’s only going to be one of them per month. Livingstone held a press conference every Tuesday and let it run on until the questions had run out. Johnson promised greater accountability, but by the end of today’s proceedings there was much muttering that this was a strange way of providing it.

Still, the Bloomberg comparison was instructive. It fits with the larger pattern of the new administration as its outline becomes clearer through the mist. The indication during the campaign was that Johnson’s would function as an engaging and gregarious chairman of the mayoral board who would delegate in a visionary manner to a dazzling array of can-do executives. Increasingly, that’s how it looks. Yet opposition Assembly Members remain unconvinced that some of Johnson’s appointments and devolutions of power have been proper and legal. And as I bathed in blond charisma up on the ninth floor, down in the basement the seductively named Business Management and Administration Committee was concluding that, “ One month into his administration, both clarity and transparency are sadly lacking when it comes to information about the appointment of people the Mayor is entrusting with significant responsibility for running London.”

What’s more, a superficial reading of the job description of Tim Parker, Johnson’s – deep breath – First Deputy and Chief Executive of the GLA Group, invites waspish speculation that he’ll be doing so much of the stuff Livingstone used to do that Mayor Johnson might have trouble filling his spare time. I thought of making that point this morning, but it seemed mean. Next month, maybe.

Read it again here!

Comments

[BenSix]

Thanks for the write-up, Dave.

Did Boris make any reference to the curious case of the consultants?

[Roger Evans]

I always wondered why Livingstone held weekly press conferences. On many occasions there was no news and he was reduced to presenting graphs on boards and answering questions from a handful of obscure journos. When there were scandals the room filled up but the questions focussed on subjects he wouldn't want to discuss. I suspect he came to regret the regular ritual and Boris is wise to cut the number right at the start before he can be portrayed as avoiding awkward issues.

I could understand the hacks' faux anger if they had bothered to turn up to every Livingstone press conference but almost none of them did.

If you want scrutiny there is always Mayor's Question Time...

[Rob]

Thanks for the balanced roundup, Dave.

I'm not sure it reflects well on the press that they apparently had unlimited scope for questioning Ken and yet his last three news conferences were just 43, 27 and 37 min long respectively, and that included lengthy statements from Ken and whatever guest(s) he had with him and a period of questioning on the specific topic of his choice before open questions.

Weekly press conferences and only monthly Mayor's Question Time (albeit two and half hours) actually sounds completely the opposite of how it should be.

Tory Troll's write up rather put me in mind of Woody Allen's famous "small portions" line.

[Tory Troll]

So in one month there was well over four times as much time for us to question him. And your point is what exactly Rob?

[Tom]

Roger - if you don't want Boris to be portrayed as avoiding awkward issues, is this best served by:

a) hiding from the press
b) not hiding from the press

I'm not particularly bothered what Ken Livingstone did or didn't do, this is your boy in charge now and you promised he'd be different. Time to ante up.