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Johnson seeks bipartisan lessons from Bloomberg
Boris Johnson will crown his first week as London's mayor by welcoming Michael Bloomberg, his New York counterpart, for talks that will help set the agenda for the capital's government over the next four years.
- The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2008
- Published: 00:12 May 6, 2008
London: Boris Johnson will crown his first week as London's mayor by welcoming Michael Bloomberg, his New York counterpart, for talks that will help set the agenda for the capital's government over the next four years.
Johnson officially became mayor of London at midnight on Sunday. After his promise to work "night and day" for Londoners, sources said his meeting with Bloomberg on Friday would play a key role in defining the Johnson administration.
Johnson is understood to be keen to learn from his New York counterpart, who has successfully put himself above partisan party politics and has twice been elected as a Republican in what is generally a Democrat-leaning city.
In his acceptance speech on Friday night, Johnson promised to work to earn the trust of the millions of Londoners who did not vote for him, and accepted that even some of those who did may have had reservations.
Education revamp
Johnson is also said to be keen to explore some of Bloomberg's policies, especially on education. The New Yorker has abolished his city's board of education and taken personal responsibility for its schools, a move some Tories believe the party should emulate in Britain.
Despite Johnson's plans for non-partisan approach, both he and David Cameron's Conservative leadership know that his successes and failures will inevitably reflect on the Tories at a national level.
Michael Gove, the shadow education secretary and a key member of Cameron's team, on Sunday accepted that Johnson's mayoralty will be testing ground for Tory ideas and policies, accepting that London will be a "laboratory" for the Conservative agenda on matters such as crime and transport.
Kitchen cabinet
On Tuesday, Johnson will address City Hall staff to set out his plans, which could include sacking some of his audience.
One of Johnson's central pledges was to cut public spending on bureaucracy and red tape. He will also use his new powers to appoint a "kitchen cabinet" of political advisers. It is understood that his campaign manager, Lynton Crosby, will not stay on, but his deputy, James McGrath, may take up a role.
Nick Boles, a former Tory parliamentary candidate, is also expected to play a significant role, with some Tories already referring to him as the "real deputy mayor". Rebuffing all requests for interviews on Sunday, Johnson instead issued a short statement talking of his determination to "crack on". He said: "I will work night and day to deliver that change in London. A tireless approach is what Londoners demand and I will step up that challenge. It is now time to get down to business".
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