This is a bit late and apologies for the tabloid style headline but I think this is important. When standing for London Mayor, Tory candidate, Boris Johnson made a specific pledge at a husting meeting of the influential organisation “London Citizens”. Boris promised the meeting that if elected as Mayor he would only allow the promotion of hotels and restaurants in the official “Visit London” website in the run up to 2012 Olympics, to those who pay their employees a “London Living Wage”.
Despite London being one of the richest cities in the world this “Living Wage” is only £7.45 per hour, or just over £13,500 per year.
Boris being Boris, Tories being Tories – now he has been elected he firstly tried to deny that he ever promised such a thing. Then Catersearch.com sent him a copy of the video where he did indeed make a public pledge.
So he now comes out with a revised letter saying that:-
“During my election campaign, I supported a list of proposals on the living wage that included this idea. However, further work in this area has made it clear that a positive approach of partnership with business to promote the London living wage is more appropriate, and likely to be more effective in achieving the key goal of the wider implementation of the living wage.”
Which means in Boris speak – “sorry poor people but my pay masters have spoken so get stuffed" –They should not rely on his tips either!)
Check out the London citizens website and video (lower right hand side of web page – about 6 mins 35 seconds in for the magic words, but before he started he did agree formally to all their pledges regarding a living wage).
I hope that those Labour party “supporters” who simply slag off the Party at every opportunity will stop and think for a mo about the best way to stop Boris’s best school mate from being elected on similar bogus promises. Not the 1983 manifesto please!
BTW - Early on in the video, someone heckled Boris and shouted out “tell the truth” – yeah.
(Hat tip thingy to comrade Colonel Roi)
20 comments:
as opposed to the Conservative one of 1979 John? :D I dont think you can dispute that there needs to be a policy shift and for that matter that it needs to be leftwards from the current axis? Pleased to see our General Sec signing a letter on windfall taxes this morning Hopefully our Labour Reps will pursue the idea along with a wide variety of other leftwards policy changes outlined in the warwick debate. There is ismply no room for being to the right of Cameroon on privatisation, war, defence etc
Windfall tax, is that like the 10p tax fiasco, it goes to those Labour think will help them get back in, ex Tory middle England swing voters.
It cannot be the sick or the disabled or the pensioners can it.
be a bit like the last Labour bogus manifesto then...no more boom and bust, education, education, education...who remembers Browns winter fuel allowance increase for one year..err that would be election year. Boris is a great major...Livingston was a relic from the 70's.
Glad to see the blog's up and running again. Didn't think Borisconi would honour anything like the living wage promise! Same old Tories...
Same old Commies...same old new Labour, same old champagne socialists with their noses in the trough...how much did the hard pressed tax payer stump up for Prescotts claim for mock tudor panelling on his house, or for Brown's groceries...or that old bag from the Forign office with the curlers, snoring pills and caravan for her gardening? Same old labour...ten years in power..no more boom nor bust, iron chancellor with the highest levels of debt in the G7...don't make me laugh...you lot are heading for annihilation at the polls and justfiably so.
I undewrstand Boris has also renaged on Motorbikes in bus lanes
So thats why he celebrated his election with champayne and oyssters and now spend more time on his newspaper articles than running
meanwhile knife crime has increased under Tory rule in London
Boris said it was easy to cut knife crime.....
lier lier pants on fire......
pants....how goes those affairs Boris
Long way until election
and under PR the Tories cannot win
Boris will never stand at the next election
watch
he would be to scared of losing
The electorate spoke...Boris is the Mayor...Ken lost...labour lost ..get used to it.
Hi Sean
Apologies for the delay in replying. I doubt that many people would think that the 1979 Labour manifesto was actually that “conservative” – I doubt we will ever see again in a Labour manifesto this commitment “We shall expand the work and finance of the National Enterprise Board, using public ownership to sustain and create new jobs, and ensure that we get an adequate return on our investment”.
I think that there needs to be specific policy shifts but being “left” rather than “left of centre” is electoral suicide. Whether we as trade unionists, like it or not.
Saying that – I don’t actually believe that Cameron is what he makes out. Fundamentally I do not think the Tories are a centre Party at all. The behavior of Boris over the living wage, in my view, proves this point.
Hi Robert
If there is another windfall tax (I hope there is) then I am sure that the money will be used to further benefit the vulnerable.
Hi Anon 1
If Boris was a “great major” he would have had the guts to admit that he made a mistake over agreeing to a “living wage” and he had now changed his mind (or read the London citizens promise properly in first place – some hope of that). This is all about doing something for Londoners on rubbish money and conditions. On his first test he has backed down to business interests. Shame on him.
Hi Anon 2
I haven’t been called a “commie” for years! Marvellous stuff! Seriously, I think you really need to raise your game matey if you want to make any real political points.
Hi Anon 3/4/5
I agree with your points but don’t come down to Anon 2’s gutter
Hi Anon 6
We will Boris to account.
Hi Charlie
Yes – great name – Borisconi (except his name stake keeps winning!)
Boris won..ken lost...the elctorate kicked Ken out - try to work out why that was.
Anon: "the electorate kicked ken out" - what all voters backed boris? Erm, no. Livingstone's vote was actually higher than before.
John apologies you misunderstand me: My irony and punctuation obviously let me down I was saying as opposed the Conservative Party one of 1979 :) (hence the capital C) The then right of the labour party would be on the left now, there are some simple and easy win policies that could be implimented. What is largely being pursued is a right of centre agenda. You dont have to be a Troskyist or Marxist ( I am neither) to see there is plenty of room electorally and politically to the left of the current government. If it isn't spotted soon there will be more fake leftism from the Liberals as well as Cameroons new found compassion. That squeeze could be hugely dangerous. Labour could for example drop their bizzare approach on income tax and NI and recognise the biggest step to improve porverty would be to take the lower paid out of both altogether by lifting the cap at the upper end on NI and reforming the tax system, that combined with other measures would be a leftwards move on it's own.
Charlie - Boris won - get used to it mate...might make you a happier guy if you spent less time puking and mewing all the time. Ken's history...Brown next...only question is do the elctorate give him the kicking he deserves or his own cabinet colleagues.
So just tell us what the Tories stand for ????
Obviously not anything they agree to
for a millionaire royalist to renage on the minimum wage is typical of the ruling class
I suggest we take up the French attitude to the monachy
Even Iain Dail is talking of a hung governmnet
Like those Liberals do you
hoepfully no to hung parliament anon.
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