Friday, March 23, 2007
Why John Bird Isn't Fit to Run London
Adam Macqueen used to work for me at Politico's. He's now a journalist on Private Eye but spent three years working for John Bird at The Big Issue. He's posted an article he wrote about Bird's management style on his new blog HERE. And this man wants to be Mayor of London. I think not.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
19 comments:
No, not really. I work on magazines and that's what it's like. Bird isn't primarily a magazine man, so why would he want to be standing on the shop floor?
What a mayor should do is set the policy direction and step back to have it implemented.
I suppose both the writer and Bird are the kind of ethical, romatic lefties (the sort of magazine we wanted to produce...) who get upset when everything doesn't pan out exactly as they envisioned it.
That's the biggest problem about being mayor, but it would a damn sight better than the nasty piece of work in charge at the minute.
Incidently, Iain and co. Do you know why Mr Livingstone, who can't drive, bought an £18,000 Prius hybrid last year?
Do you know what the Livingstone total household income is? Do you know whay his partner does for a living?
All of it's relevent and the answers are sitting on Veronica Wadely's desk, but the evening Standard can't decide whether to publish.
Why won't they pull the trigger and put a hole in Livingstone's starboard?
I agree Iain . Do you not find it somewhat concerning that the Conservative party were even considering this retarded socialist. He had amicable talks with David Cameron. How ?
Its enough to make you wonder if we really can`t do better than the gay Etonian lifetime Policy wonk ,craven insider and mental Pygmy Nic Boles.
Surely it hasn`t come to this . Surely there has to be someone there is some point in campaigning for . Please Lord deliver us from that fatuous wet Boles.
I `ll never do anything bad ever again. I may even stop being silly on Iains blog. Just give me this one thing.
NOT BOLES
Hmmmm... how very different from when you closed down The Westminster Bookshop and made your staff redundant, Iain.....
People in glass houses and all that
Inamicus, I made two people redundant and paid them each several times more redundancy money than they were statutorily entitled to.
You really are scraping the barrell with that one.
Mr mania
If you are going to stand for mayor make a proper job of it and stop bleating on.
The Hitch has decided to take a leap of faith and join the BNP and stand for election.
Given the position of the Mayor who is not accountable to anybody and has no checks over his power, as laid down by the GLA Act (the Bill that is now going through Parliament will give him more power and will not give anything to the Assembly) the best person to take that position is a power-mad control freak. We already have one in place.
lyfiuuomNewmania...
I agree entirely, I am so angry about what I see Livingstone doing in London, and yes, I'll be voting Conservative (unless a great Independent came along), but I don't want to vote for John Bird's personal agenda, and I think Nicholas Boles is a lightweight who only has an electoral record of failure, and is a timid, chinless policy wonk.
This is arguably the most powerful elected role outside of Westminster, and we have to take this seriously. We need someone with the gravitas and political nous of a senior cabinet minister.
This isn't just about beating Labour, it is about having a strong hand of leadership in a city with massive economic impact on the rest of the UK, and pretty serious global impact too.
I appreciate for senior politicians that it is hard to see anything outside of Westminster as being so powerful, and this role is new and so synonymous with Livingstone. In reality, it is an opportunity for a strong and independent base of Conservative power.
Also, this is a major role where we don't have to pander to our friends in the shires, and can present a more cosmopolitan, corporate and forward-looking face than the national party would allow.
If I'm honest, I would never have chosen him for party leader, but I would like to see someone of the stature of Michael Portillo elected as Mayor [ducks to avoid halfbricks].
OK, I may be wrong, but give me someone I want to vote for, not the also-rans we've had so far.
Jon, South London
"Why John Bird Isn't Fit to Run London"
About three times as fit as David Cameron from this reading. But does that say much?
I can give you one very simple reason why John should be given the Bird: he's currently whoring himself out to Ask.com, alongside Peaches Geldof forgodsakes, as some kind of radical revolutionary in a desperate bid to make that rather useless search engine look cool.
Anyone with that sort of judgment isn't fit to run a milkfloat, let alone London.
Let's get Norris in and get on with it. All the laughable candidates have had their fun. Let them go get a parliamentary seat (for those of them that can).
Good on yer hitch!
Where are you standing, I'll come and canvass for you?
Thank you for posting this. As A Labour supporter I often feel guilty visiting your site, but its the range of issues you cover and the fact that you let twats such as inamicus comment which makes you so endearing and readable.
[blush] [/blush]
Oh, and the fact you blush so easily. Bet you don't let that one through!
Does this mean you won't be pushing Stephan Shakespear as his campaign manager then ?
morrocanroll - hmm..not sure the 'Prius' thing is news - I can't recall the answer, but I'm sure it was in the Eye a few months back.
Can't have been that serious as it hasn't surfaced since....
Remind me, what does his partner do for a living ? If it isn't criminal, then is it really that relevant ?
Not Shagger Norris - he was a tired old has-been last time and the time before that too, combining the popular appeal of David sMellor with his thoroughly compromised position as Chairman of Jarvis... the last thing we need, even in Dave's touchy-feely party.
Please no!
I think John can be excused lacking some HR etiquette when you consider the ostacles he has overcome in his personal life. If he can turn round London to anything like the extent he turned round his own situation then he'd be very tempting to vote for.
Anono
Mr Livingstone's partner has a very well paid job at a very well-know institution, working for a very well know London figure. I trust she beat off intense competition to land it...
But then again, she's busy with two children and lives a long way from her place of work. And buses do take an awfully long time to get from Brent to...
can you join the dots?
Post a Comment