Will Boris go for a second term? |

Monday 14th December 2009 | 14:47

Will Boris go for a second term?

Only half of political insiders feel confident that Boris Johnson will run for a second term as London Mayor

Interviewed by Andrew Marr at the weekend, the normally voluble Boris Johnson was briefly lost for words when quizzed about his future plans.

Marr asked him whether he might return to the House of Commons in the next parliament and the Mayor did not rule out this possibility outright.

As media attention on Mr Johnson's ambitions increases, PoliticsHome asked the Phi100 panel of political experts and insiders for their predictions on whether Boris will end up seeking a second term as London Mayor.

A significant proportion (twenty six per cent) was unsure, but among those who did make a clear cut prediction, panellists were more likely to say that Boris would contest a second term.

'Nemesis'

Just under half (forty seven per cent) predicted that he would run for a second term, while a much smaller proportion of the panel (twenty six per cent) thought that he would not.

A right-leaning strategist said that ‘Boris wants to be PM’, while a non-aligned media panellist predicted ‘One more term then back to the Commons to be Cameron's nemesis!’

A right-leaning journalist said ‘Boris will do whatever he thinks is best for Boris.’

Leave a comment...

Anand

12:25 |
15 Dec 2009
Recommended
3

I would much prefer Boris running the country. he isnt afraid to tell the truth and make unpopular decisions, unlike Mr Cameron (who in his defence is infinitely better suited for the PM job than McRuin!!! - but then thats not hard is it...)

Phillip

13:17 |
15 Dec 2009
Recommended
2

Boris will try and secure a second term in 2012 and return to the Commons in 2016 to succeed cameron.

Russell

13:22 |
15 Dec 2009
0

Cripes!!!
This is a none story because Johnson expressed no opinion, on the AM show, as to whether or not he would like to go back into parliamentary politics after this or any subsequent term as Mayor of London.
2+2=x where x is some extrapolated result determined by ill informed gossip.

Patricia Ledger

18:41 |
15 Dec 2009
Recommended
2

No politician since Churchill has caught the public's imagination as Boris has done. He has a lot more work to do as Mayor and should do another term. Then he will be ready to challenge Cameron who by that time will be seen for what he is, and what voters suspect now: an opportunist politician who bends with the political wind.

David Dee

11:10 |
16 Dec 2009
Recommended
1

Johnson acts like a buffoon because not only does it detract from his all too many faults it actually provides an alibi for such.

Johnson's major downfall is his judgement (or lack of it) as has been clearly shown even before he became entangled with Guppy.

To date he has lost 4 very senior members of his staff all of whom had his personal seal of approval:

James McGrath was forced to ‘retire’ following some inappropriate racist remarks.

Ray Lewis ‘retired’ following allegations of a Financial and sexual nature.

Ian Clement ‘retired’ following the ‘misuse’ of his City Hall Credit Card

And Tim Parker ‘retired’ prersumably because he was fed up doing Johnson’s work for him.

He wastes his time on the nonsense of replacing articulated buses in favour of vehicles with less capacity at a higher cost,
He argues, against logic, regarding the abolition of the western extension of the congestion charge zone whilst ever increasing the cost of travel for the public transport fare payers.

And although he made great play about policing and crime in his electioneering,to date he is the very first Mayor to preside over real-term cuts in the police budget.

Instead of wodndering what Jiohnson might or might not do in 2012 one should be speculating as to whether he will actually make it to the end of his current tenure!!

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