Fiona Hamilton
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Boris Johnson has urged David Cameron to follow his lead and adopt his social reform agenda for an incoming government, making his administration a model for national Tory policy.
Mr Johnson, the most powerful Conservative in the country, revealed to The Times that he will soon approach Mr Cameron, the party’s leader, with his own blueprint for Britain.
The Mayor of London will suggest that ideas for tackling youth crime and social apathy in London could be implemented on a national scale. These are likely to include zero tolerance policies on weapon-related offences along with long-term measures to tackle disaffection among the young, including boot camps and so-called “respect schools” for troubled teenagers. He is also expected to urge Mr Cameron to copy other measures he has introduced in London to enhance public safety, such as high-visibility policing and a ban on alcohol on public transport.
In an interview to mark his first 100 days in office, Mr Johnson told The Times: “Over the next couple of months I will be setting out some more of the ideas that I have for the general direction of the city, and indeed for what we could be doing in London, that I think would be a good way forward for the country.
“If the Conservatives are going to be coming into power next time around, then let’s share ideas and let’s work something up together.”
Since Mr Johnson was elected in May, with the largest personal mandate of any British politician in history, his mayoralty has been widely viewed as a model for Conservative national government.
However, until now both he and Mr Cameron have been wary of suggesting that his administration is a testbed for national Tory reforms and policies.
However, Mr Johnson said it would be “crazy” for them not to work together. With the Conservatives well ahead in national opinion polls, he disclosed that he would approach Mr Cameron to discuss his initiatives and their national implementation.
“They are in the general area of developing a community response to the problems of disadvantaged children going off the rails and wrecking their lives, wrecking the neighbourhood. Basically, it’s developing a passionate and proactive series of measures to tackle youth crime and disaffection generally.”
During his first three months as mayor, strong links have been forged between Mr Johnson’s office and Conservative headquarters. With many MPs believing that Mr Cameron’s fortunes are significantly aligned with the successes of the mayor, his allies kept a tight rein on the capital’s fledgling administration.
Mr Johnson’s transition team consisted of senior members from the Tory Central Office, including Nick Boles, a close friend of the Tory leader, who acted as Mr Johnson’s interim chief of staff. Mr Boles and others have since moved back to Conservative headquarters, and Mr Johnson has attempted to highlight his independence with senior appointments of his own, including the businessman Tim Parker as his chief of staff.
However, several links are still apparent, with Mr Johnson making four senior appointments from Policy Exchange, including its former director, Anthony Browne, as his policy strategist. The right-of-centre think-tank is also behind many of Mr Cameron’s key policies.
Mr Johnson’s comments on national policy will be seen as a move to talk up his successes as mayor, but also as a demonstration of the long-term rivalry between the pair. There has been much speculation that Mr Johnson harbours leadership ambitions, although he once remarked that his chances of becoming Prime Minister were as good as being “reincarnated as an olive”.
He insisted that his relationship with Mr Cameron is “superb”. He told The Times that the pair spoke just a few days ago, although he refused to say what about.
With his 100th day in office falling a week today, Mr Johnson said that he was full of enthusiasm for the job. “I’m still absolutely bathed in the serotonin that you get after something like this. Every day I wake up with a sense of wonderment that I’m Mayor of London. Obviously I realise that other people may also feel a little wonderment.”
He highlighted the alcohol ban on public transport as a key achievement, claiming it was popular with most Londoners, despite protests by many young people. “It took Margaret Thatcher quite a long time before she earned the honour of having tens of thousands of young people hurling execration in her name. It took me only a few weeks.”
Mr Johnson expressed frustration at the slow pace for change at City Hall, citing his desire to get rid of bendy buses as an example. While he has a “timetable of doom” for the much maligned buses, Mr Johnson conceded it would take years to remove them. He has also faced difficulties over street-by-street crime maps, another key policy, whose implementation stalled amid concerns about privacy. The Government then beat him to it by announcing ward-level street maps.
“There are some things you seem to be able to achieve very fast. But you know those dreams you get, where you’ve got lead boots on, and you’re dreaming you’re running for the try line, and no matter how hard you try your feet just won’t seem to move? It can be a bit like that with some things that I want to do.”
Power play
David Cameron
Annual salary: £132,317
Staff: 258 at Central Office
Budget: Party has debts of £7.75m
Powers: Constitutional duty to hold Government to account, appoints Shadow
Ministers
Mandate: elected by around 290,000 Conservative members
Boris Johnson
Annual salary: £137,579
Staff: 800-plus in Greater London Authority
Budget: £11 billion
Powers: planning, development, transport, culture, environment
Mandate: directly elected by 5.4 million London voters
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