Yesterday saw Boris’s minders again having to try to conceal Boris’s real position after he let it slip in a web chat. This time the subject area was the smoking ban.

Surprisingly, the Evening Standard actually ran with this story (did the normal editor have the day off yesterday or something?) pointing out that he was paid £5-10,000 by the Association of Tobacco for a speech last year and now is coming out against the smoking ban – what a coincidence!

His minders have since issued all kinds of twisting ‘clarifications’ trying to mop up the mess. Paul Waugh – again at the Evening Standard! – has a good summary of how the events unfolded.

Brian Paddick has a good turn of phrase:

First of all Boris Johnson says that he will overturn the smoking ban. Then he issues a press release denying that he ever meant what he said. As with his comments on whether or not he snorted cocaine, Johnson continues to drop himself in it and his team have to follow him with a bucket and shovel.

How can Londoners trust someone who has received money from the tobacco industry to be objective about the smoking ban? Most Londoners agree with this initiative. There are two possible explanations for Boris wanting to overturn it: either he is out of touch with Londoners or he is in the pocket of the tobacco industry.

I love that bucket and shovel image. Spot on.

This entry was posted on Friday 18 April 2008 at 08.32 by Mr. Stop Boris and is filed under Evening Standard, Gaffophobia, Incompetence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS2 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.