The Scoop

Boris Johnson: campaigning on the rates in Bexleyheath

Adam Bienkov | Friday 11 February, 2011 11:48

The biggest complaint from journalists covering City Hall is that it has become extremely difficult for them to actually put a face-to-face question to the Mayor

Soon after he was elected Boris cancelled the regular press conferences held at City Hall and told reporters that they could always come and speak to him on his many trips around the capital instead.

Looking to test this claim out, I went down to Bexleyheath Broadway this morning to watch Boris perform one of his many “meet and greet” walkabouts with voters.

I was told that there would be time to put some questions to the Mayor, so I prepared a couple of softballs on police numbers and what he plans to do for outer London if re-elected next year.

However, while there was lots of meeting and greeting between Boris, his Conservative colleagues and smiling pensioners, the time for questions never came.

After the umpteenth hand-shake with police officers I spotted that a local newspaper reporter had buttonholed him for a question and photo so I quickly stepped in.

He initially agreed to answer my question, but before I could even think about beginning, an aide stepped in and dragged him away to talk to some local business man or other.

Once that had finished I dodged past the flanking police officers and went in for a second attempt with the Mayor, who was by now quickly walking away.

Me: “Can I ask you that question now please Boris?”
Boris: “No I’ve really got to be getting going”
Me: “We can walk and talk”
Boris: “No, no I’ve really got to…

And before I could even think about trying for a third time, he was whisked away into the safe confines of the local Conservative-contolled Town Hall.

It was all very unsatisfactory and left me wondering why it is that we are being asked to pay for what are essentially little more than a series of campaigning events for Boris’s re-election next year.

By all means the Mayor should go out and talk to voters, but if journalists aren’t able to do anything other than take a few photos of him shaking hands then it really is something that should be paid for out of the Conservative Party Headquarters instead.

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