Green, Red, but not Blue (please)

"Damn those f**king birds..."

I’d like to say I was shocked to hear this week that Boris Johnson’s poll lead in the run up to London Mayoral elections had jumped to 12 points over Ken Livingstone, but I wasn’t really. Ken crying all over the telly seems to about sum up a pretty lacklustre contest so far. There have been the usual revelations of hypocritical tax dealings and dubious funding issues but generally Boris just seems to have gone about doing what he does: swearing, offending people and spouting lots of rubbish. And the media have lapped it up because everyone loves a chancer eh?! Oh Boris! That quote about how “every time he swears, he gains 3 points”, while a joke, is a pretty damning indictment and puts the joke firmly on the voters. OK, the bike scheme works and cable cars are totally cool but what else is it about this guy that sounds even vaguely convincing?

To be honest, I had a pretty low opinion of Boris Johnson four years ago when I lived in London; but having moved to Kent last year that opinion sunk lower than an ocean trench when he waded in with his vision for an estuary airport. How can it be justified for the Mayor of LONDON to advocate a catastrophic development of this scale at a proposed site in KENT? Where’s our say in this? We vote for our own council leaders (and they’re against it too) but since when did they answer to the mayor? The thoughtless, cynical plan is aggravated by that care-less attitude. He knows what’s at stake here for the people of Kent; he knows what the environmental consequences would be for the Thames estuary...if he doesn’t, he should ask his Dad. And with Boris’s work done, that airport proposal is now officially being reviewed by the government. Never mind that it won’t happen, Boris needs bringing down to earth. I don't think getting rid of him will put an end to the estuary airport plans but it will at least shake up number 10 and strike a HUGE blow for its appeal.

Ultimately this is a guy with zero commitment to the environment in London and the South East. It’s such a shame that a decent, intelligent and passionate candidate like Jenny Jones of the Green Party flounders behind the likes of him. I guess a Boris win looks inevitable but it's not over yet. Still undecided? Check out her manifesto for a Green London here. She gets the BirdPoem ballot > X!

I won’t be able to vote tomorrow so it’s over to you London. Do us all a favour eh?

Pretty interesting article here from the BBC website yesterday on the matter of the London/counties divide

. 

Image above via Google images/Getty