Comments on: Must… not… like… pretend… buffoon

By: John B

John B — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:00:26 +0000

The original axing last year was v. bad, for sure – but over the last few weeks he’s been responding positively towards the consultation and implying that he’ll raise funding.

By: Merrick

Merrick — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:25:57 +0000

“I can’t think of anything bad he’s suggested over the same time”

Does this count?

http://goldfishnation.blogspot.com/2009/07/protest-boris-johnsons-funding-cuts-to.html

By: Rob Spear

Rob Spear — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:53:40 +0000

I suggest a chanting a few rounds of “Oh we hate Tories and we hate Tories” to atone.

By: D-Notice

D-Notice — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:23:06 +0000

There’s always the bendy bus policy to turn you against him…

By: John B

John B — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 09:29:54 +0000

1) yes, although I’d argue that was really the real estate industry – the operators who drove the 24-hour rules were chains rather than owners of tied houses, and the owners of tied houses don’t have any real involvement with the brewing or sale of alcohol. I assume you’ve seen JQ Publican’s excellent LC piece on this?

2) yes, that’s a really good way of looking at it. To the extent that the interests of freedom overlap with the interests of People Like Boris, he’s in favour of freedom, which probably puts him ahead of NuLab on points, but that isn’t good enough and People Unlike Boris shouldn’t fall for it…

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 07:48:10 +0000

On the other hand, the booze industry is also using its lobbying power to perpetuate a quasi-monopolist position on tied houses that doesn’t particularly benefit consumers. That could usefully use some trimming, to my mind.

On the cyclist/booze thing I’m incline to agree with you (and I do enjoy riding down to the riverside pubs for a quick pint, but no more than I’d happily drive after), but it’s not a plus point for Boris, who’s merely continuing to think that cyclists are a special case to whom rules that they’re quite happy to impose on others don’t apply.

The problem with Conservatives of his type is not that they don’t believe in individual freedom and liberty, but that *they don’t generalise it to people who aren’t Conservatives of his type*. Hence the contrast between Boris and his Bullingdon chums getting ratarsed on champagne and smashing things up and, say, youth gangs getting ratarsed on cheap vodka and smashing things up or, on a more global scale, the difference in attitude to the bankers fucking the economy up through giving themselves grossly perverted incentives and refusing to acknowledge the consequences of their actions and, say, if the unions had done it by byzantine working practices, outrageous pay demands, mass strike action and refusing to acknowledge the consequences of their actions. It’s not like you’re going to see Boris saying ‘if we don’t give Bob Crow what he wants, he’ll go and work in Frankfurt’.