And so it begins

Max Hastings makes a good point in the Guardian this morning:

Ken regards Boris as the only opponent who can beat him. His first hope, therefore, is to cut him off before he wins the Tory nomination.

This is fair enough, but it is pretty rich to seek to scupper Johnson by showcasing his wilder utterances. The entire political career of London's mayor has been an indiscretion, from his dalliance with Sinn Féin and leadership of the lunatic left at the GLC in the 1970s, to his current love affair with Hugo Chávez, burgeoning dictator of Venezuela.

It is only two years since Livingstone was roundly condemned for comparing a Jewish Evening Standard reporter to a concentration camp guard.

The most important paragraph is the first one.

The Mayoral election has already started and the Tories cannot sedately wait for their candidate to be selected before they engage in it.