Boris the clown is back

Those hoping the new year would bring out Boris Johnson's statesmanlike qualities (remember D Cameron: "Inside Boris there is a serious, ambitious politician fighting to get out") will have to hang on a little longer. Asked by Time magazine whether he considers himself a conviction politician, he gave a response that seems likely to grate in Millbank tower. He replied: "I certainly have a range of convictions. Not for anything serious. God. I don't have convictions, actually, by the way. No, no, no. Sorry, I don't have any convictions in a court of law, apart from speeding when I was very young. But I have plenty of political convictions. Can you rescue me? God."

Comments

[Richard]

The key development though is that on the street and in the pubs Ken Livingstone is seen as tired and past his sell-by date, while Boris Johnson is young, very clever, and offers good humoured inspiration to Londoners. The other plus for Boris Johnson is his appeal to the young voters, who have been notorious as "no shows" in so many elections.