Forgive us for not being more up on the landscape of local London politics, but when we informed you that anti-automobile incumbent Ken Livingstone had lost his bid for reelection as the Mayor of London we had no idea how lucky Londoners had gotten with his replacement. Boris Johnson is his name, and he is the Yin to Livingstone's car-hating Yang. Johnson is a true motorhead, and a quick Google search reveals a plethora of evidence supporting that description. The man is actually a professional editor, journalist and automotive scribe, having penned car-related columns for a number of newspapers and even British GQ. He's written a number of books including one called Life in the Fast Lane: The Johnson Guide to Cars, which appears to be straight from the Jeremy Clarkson school of car comedy. You can read more about Johnson at his official website here, check out his video review of the Nissan Quashqai here, or read reviews of his book at Amazon.com here.
Oh, and Johnson did appear on Top Gear once to drive a reasonably priced car on the TG test track. His time? 1:56 seconds in a Suzuki Liana (this was before they switched to the Chevy Lacetti), good enough for ninth place at the time and ultimately 56th when the list was finally reset. Did your city's mayor appear on Top Gear? That's it, we're moving to Chelsea.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
tankd0g @ May 5th 2008 12:08PM
May fools?
John R @ May 5th 2008 12:16PM
Seems for reals:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3876052.ece
Hopefully, for the sake of Londoners, he'll repeal that draconian congestion "charge". I use quotes as its really a tax in my eyes.
Mallory @ May 5th 2008 12:09PM
Yea for more cars in London!!
Richard @ May 5th 2008 12:13PM
See. You try that high - um, astronomic - taxation stuff and guess what, you get booted out.
I think that Ken Livingstone, while he did bring the start of the Tour de France to London last year, also wanted to charge extortion-level taxes to the motorists of London.
See ya!
Marwan @ May 5th 2008 12:14PM
That guy looks like a grown up version of the bad guy in Karate Kid. You know, the Cobra Kai leg sweeper. Awesome.
Marwan @ May 5th 2008 5:10PM
http://tommcmahon.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/zabka1.jpg
I mean come on !
M @ May 5th 2008 6:05PM
He totally does look like that Karate kid bad guy. Good call!
Dazza @ May 5th 2008 4:00PM
John R: in the UK, local elections are rarely voted upon over local issues. As we have seen many times before, this election was based on national issues (Iraq, the removal of the 10% income tax band, etc) even though it only affects local authorities and not MPs in the House of Commons.
Livingstone has brought in huge commerce for London. Johnson is a Tory, and bear in mind the Tories began the fuel tax escalator in the early 1990s - so be guaranteed of several things: a) the congestion charge will be expanded or increased, and b) new commerce/development in London will be voted against by the new Major.
This is bad news for London.
DJ @ May 5th 2008 12:19PM
Even cooler is this guy may run for President as a Republican in 2012.
President of where?
The US of A.
Born in New York, he meets all of the qualifications to run.
John R @ May 5th 2008 12:22PM
I just watched some of that quashquai vid. it was a bit choppy, but my impression is this guy is a real character. :)
why not the LS2LS7? @ May 5th 2008 12:23PM
The guy is considered a boob by the British.
Here's him playing a charity soccer match against the German national team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch%3fv=iWIUp19bBoA
Soccer Mom @ May 5th 2008 12:31PM
So the Brits elected a boob to rule them? Perverts.
ckm @ May 5th 2008 12:49PM
He's the most popular politician in Britain. I quite sure he's not considered a boob. A buffoon, maybe, but not a boob.
When he was once asked if he actually was a buffoon, he said "You cannot discount that under this elaborately constructed veneer of a blithering idiot, there lies a blithering idiot."
Brilliant.
John R @ May 5th 2008 12:51PM
And the residents of Minnesota elected a former professional wrestler as govenor way back when, big deal. I don't recall many people disliking him after his tenure.
Ben @ May 5th 2008 12:37PM
Does this mean Porsche's hand is no longer forced? ;)
Brian Marshall @ May 5th 2008 2:24PM
ckm: He's the biggest clown in the UK. Search for 'Have I got news for you - Boris Johnson' on youtube, that'll give you a brief idea of his incompetence. He's little more than a figure of fun, and was voted in because the UK is sick of Labour, hence Ken Livingstone had to go.
And he's well known for cycling everywhere, so I'm not too sure why this article even exists?
John R @ May 5th 2008 5:00PM
Dazza:
Ah, I had no idea. That does sounds like bad news.
adrian @ May 6th 2008 2:14PM
@Dazza
Your right about the Tory fuel tax escalator but that was many years ago when petrol was affordable. In the ten years of power, Labour has done nothing substantial to ease the burden on drivers needing their cars to get around, Ken Livingstone was an example of this. It's all about milking drivers with Labour, to make up for the waste in goverment.
Livinstone was killing Working class drivers in London. First the congestion charge at Five Pounds/Day, then Eight Pounds/Day then the western extension and then twenty five pounds CO charge if he was voted back in, all against the wishes of Londoners.
Well enough is enough, we are not made of money and I am glad he has been forced out. It will send a strong message to the Labour Goverment.
Dazza @ May 5th 2008 4:04PM
If you think Livingstone was booted out on the back of the congestion charge, then you can't be au fait with British politics. The income from the congestion charge is far less than the cost to London's economy as a result of consistent gridlock in London.
adrian @ May 6th 2008 2:26PM
@Dazza
I think you may want to rethink that concept of British politics if that's what you believe. London's economy is important no doubt, But how much change people have in their pockets by the end of the week is even more important.
A major bank or trading house in Docklands won't be paying my rent if I fall on hard times will they?, Even if the economy is booming.