The Scoop

What has Boris Johnson's campaign manager been doing in City Hall?

Adam Bienkov | Friday 15 July, 2011 13:01

Some confusion at City Hall after Boris Johnson’s campaign manager Lynton Crosby was found to have been been given unfettered access into the building.

A City Hall pass was given to the Australian dog-whistler at some point over recent months and was only withdrawn after a complaint from Boris’s opponents.

The Mayor’s office would not confirm how long Crosby had use of the pass for, nor whether he was given access to parts of the building restricted to the public.

Under government legislation it is not permitted to use City Hall resources for party political campaigning purposes.

A spokesperson for the Mayor said:

An admin officer mistakenly approved a security pass, which was swiftly withdrawn when senior officials were alerted. Like any other member of the public Lynton Crosby is able to visit City Hall and does so occasionally – as does the labour candidate and his team. He has no access however to Greater London Authority resources.”

You will notice the present tense on that last sentence.

London Assembly Labour Group leader Len Duvall said today:

In the Greater London Authority, admin officers are directed by senior members of staff on such matters. This was a blatant misuse of a City Hall pass. The question is why did they think it was appropriate for one to be issued in the first place? Like all things with Boris Johnson and the coming and going of his senior staff, there is one rule for them and another for the rest of us.

Questions have already been raised about the use by Boris’s campaign of publicly funded material.

However, inviting the campaign manager himself into City Hall is quite another matter. The Mayor should now make clear exactly what he has been doing whilst inside the building.

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