News from Labour Matters

Tories fake fights between London Mayor and Cameron in “agreed strategy”

Benedict Brogan’s revelations about the relationship and priorities of Boris Johnson, David Cameron and George Osborne confirms that Boris Johnson’s recent, very public criticisms of government policies are part of an agreed Tory strategy to try to distance the London Mayor from David Cameron’s government. Far from being at loggerheads “the two, who are routinely portrayed as pitched against each other in a contest for supremacy over the Conservative Party, are in fact joined at the hip.”

“Boris has been decoupling himself from the Tory leadership for months. This is, in fact, ‘an agreed strategy rather than a unilateral declaration of independence.’

Some time ago, he came to an understanding with Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne – who oversees Tory election planning – that gives him permission to defy them on policy. Both sides recognise that to win, the Mayor must separate himself from the Prime Minister and even at times beard him. In the near daily exchanges of text messages between the three, there is an informal understanding that when Boris plans to go off the reservation, he will alert the high command. As a political manoeuvre, it has worked a treat.”

Commenting on the article, Labour’s Ken Livingstone told Labour Matters: “David Cameron may regard it as a disaster for him if Boris Johnson loses, but they all seem to have lost sight of Londoners’ interests.

“What this shows is that Boris wants Dave’s job, George wants Dave’s job, Dave needs Boris to keep his job so he can hang on to his own job, and the three of them are texting each other to save each other’s jobs.

“Isn’t it about time we had a mayor and a government actually bothered about someone’s interests and jobs other than their own?”

Other news from Labour Matters

• Southampton Labour release alternative 'Budget for Fairness' - 6 February 2012
• "Bleak unemployment figures are bad news" says John Denham - 12 October 2011
• Westminster Council to cut Taxicard budget by £500,000 a year - 11 August 2011