Wow, what a Conference.  One of the most striking aspects has been the rapid rise of the Charismatic Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, (or BoJo as he has become affectionately known as).  The man’s star is currently shining brighter than a supernova!  Again he fulfilled the role of Conference Darling this week in Manchester.

There can be no doubting his star quality.  Many in the Conference Hall, in the opening session had come in to see the maestro in action.  Boris has that ultimate quality in a politician: likeability.  Before he came on stage, a short video introduced him, highlighting his achievements and then at the end, the familiar thump thump of the EastEnders theme tune boomed into the Conference Hall.  The clip, (also on this site), was shown of Boris meeting and handing his business card to Peggy Mitchell, (Babs Windsor).  The Hall was electric, then the man bounded on stage himself, crumpled suit in place, blonde mop of hair spraying in all directions, to an instant outburst of a spontaneous standing ovation. The audience’s affection for Boris was genuine and heartfelt.

Boris is a natural orator.  He bumbling tones just add to his ‘X-factor’.  When he needs to be he can be eloquent, combined with this he is deeply intelligent but ultimately he understands that to sometimes drive a message home, cripple an opponent and build the excitement in a speech, you need to use humour.  Boris can fulfill the role of Conference Jester very well, but as we know this is sometimes to his detriment and personal brand as a serious politician.  Boris’ political antenna was totally attune to that of the Party faithful.  He wants a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, he wants the abolition of the 50p tax rate, he defended the bankers with panache and exclaimed that it was the bankers money and profits that paid for the public spending boom of Brown, and the hospitals we send our sick and the schools we educate our children in, only benefit from the bankers ability to generate billions of pounds.  He urged “all you banker-bashers out there” to “trust in London”, which he said would lead the country out of recession as it had done in the 1930s. Maybe those bankers aren’t so bad I heard a delegate behind me say. 

‘Cuts’ has been the word of the summer.  Key has been the focus on spending cuts.  Boris changed to to cutting ‘nonsense’.  Boris highlighted a case from last week when it emerged two female officers at the Metropolitan police had been stopped from babysitting each other’s children because they were not registered as childminders. Ofsted warned the women could be prosecuted for being in breach of the Childcare Act. Boris cut to the chase as he proclaimed to Conference: ”If it were up to me I would cut the babysitting monitoring department; I would cut the babysitting monitoring department action day; I would cut the babysitting monitoring department human resources section. “Get rid of this nonsense but don’t cut the investment essential to the UK economy.”

After a speech which lifted the Party faithful, the hall again erupted into a standing ovation.  As quickly as he had come and conquered, he bound of the stage job done, no doubt enjoying the acclamation he had received.

For those that missed it, ITN posted some of the highlights….click below to watch.

Conference speech finished, it was time for Boris to ‘meet the media’.  He pounded from news studio to news studio, journalist to journalist.  Always supportive of Cameron but maintaining the pressure on the leadership on key issues.  Even challenging Osborne to match his spending reductions and efficient use of money in London.  Wherever Boris went, he was pursued by adoring fans and journalists desperate to get him on their news bulletins.  Boris always responded with that natural enthusiasm and blonde mop of scruffy hair flailing in the wind!

Perhaps the best interview of Conference was between the master interviewer Jeremy Paxman and Boris.  This really is a must watch interview.  It is a shame that the BBC has cut some of this as Paxman, his usual sneering self, challenged Boris on the character of David Cameron, his wealth and of course his membership of the now infamous Bullingdon Club.  Boris, turned this questioning on his head and challenged Paxman to reveal his salary.  Repeatedly Boris challenged but Paxman would not relent, (reports place the Paxman salary, of course funded by the British tax payer at between £800k to £1 million…that’s a hefty sum given that the this is 4 times that of the Prime Minister!…up to you if he is worth that…?).  Whilst Boris’ challenge makes some of the final edit, his PR team claim that the whole interview was superb and have challenged the BBC to post the unedited version on iPlayer.  Some of this interview is pure political theatre.  Boris asking Paxman if Newsnight had plunged to the lowest depths when paxman enquired if Cameron had ever thrown a plant pot!  Boris challenges Paxman to get a proper job.  Paxo should stop ‘just’ questioning politicians…….Vintage.  Click below to watch.

Just class.

Boris has been Mayor for over a year now.  He has a lot left to achieve but can point to a number of successes already including freezing council tax, banning alcohol on the tube, devolving more power to local government, opposing a third runway at Heathrow, ousting the ‘hated’ Ian Blair as head of the Met Police,  adding 400 more police on the buses and hence seeing a reduction in violent crime, scrapping the bendy buses and phasing them out, opposing an extension of the congestion charge, the new rent-a-bike scheme.  At Conference he announced he would again freeze the Council Tax next year.  This was Conservatism in action he triumphantly proclaimed.

It was a real pleasure to meet and chat with the man who still has a long way to go in politics.  Boris used to proclaim he wanted to succeed Cameron as Prime Minister, although of late he has stated that being Mayor will be his last big political Job.  Commentators don’t believe him and still see a burning ambition in the man.  Whilst there will not be a vacancy for the Leadership of the Conservative Party for some time, who is to say that after a second term as Mayor, what will be the political situation at that moment of time will be.  Boris, a breath of fresh air in modern politics…keep up the great work BoJo!  A true legend in the making.