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Boris faces barrage of boos
Pippa Crerar, Political Correspondent10.04.08
Boris Johnson's mayoral campaign was dealt a blow last night as he was booed and heckled at the biggest hustings of the race so far.
The Tory candidate was faced with a hostile audience of 2,500 Londoners including church groups, trade unions and charities.
But by the end of the two-hour event at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster the jeers had turned to cheers as he won round much of the audience.
Mr Johnson was visibly nervous when he took to the stage at the London Citizens hustings, jiggling his foot and bearing a grimace-like smile. He was met with whistles and boos as he stood up to speak, admitting: "This is the most wonderful and intimidating event I've ever been at."
The audience was packed with black church groups and student and trade unions who are the natural constituency of Labour rival Ken Livingstone.
Mr Johnson went on to talk about the high cost of living in the city, including the mayoral precept of the council tax, but was barely audible amid the noise.
Eventually one of the event organisers interrupted and told the gathering: "I'm sorry but I've got to interrupt here. In the interests of respect and dignity, we'll be giving candidates extra time if they're heckled and booed."
The audience began to warm to Mr Johnson after he agreed to fund the "London living wage" of £7.20 per hour for the poorest workers if elected.
He won over even more people when he talked about housing and agreed to a one-off amnesty for all illegal immigrants living in the capital.
Mr Johnson spoke of his own family's immigrant roots and said his Muslim great-grandfather, who fled to Britain from Turkey, would be "very proud" he was standing for Mayor of London.
The candidate said: "If an immigrant has been here for a long time and there is no realistic prospect of returning them, then I do think that person's condition should be regularised so that they can pay taxes and join the rest of society."
Mr Livingstone added it was a "tragic miscalculation" by the Labour government not to have an "immediate amnesty for everybody" when it came to power in 1997. However, the Tory faced jeers when he said it was not within his powers to stop the Met staging controversial dawn raids of migrant families. "I've given you as many yeses as I can, my friends," he implored his audience. He added that he would "look at" London Citizens' proposal to subsidise transport for failed asylum seekers in London, while Green Sian Berry and Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick backed the idea. Mr Johnson was then applauded when he repeated his pledge to scrap the Mayor's newspaper, The Londoner, and plant trees with the money saved.
Later, Tory aides attempted to put a positive spin on the evening, claiming that despite the rocky start, by the end he had convinced many attendees. One insider said: "Despite a trade union block booing Boris at the start he seemed to have turned some heads tonight. It took us more than half an hour to get out of the venue as he was mobbed for autographs and photos at the end."
It comes after the Tories were accused of keeping Mr Johnson out of the public eye by avoiding events with potentially difficult audiences including ethnic minorities and Labour supporters. He has vehemently denied he has been avoiding tricky hustings.
Mr Livingstone also attracted controversy at the hustings when he agreed to give failed asylum-seekers free travel so they could attend immigration interviews. Many end up walking for miles across the capital because they are unable to afford the Tube or train fare. "There may be a problem with the travel, but I'll think of a way round it," the Mayor said.
He suggested the scheme could be funded by dipping into the money saved as a result of a cheap fuel deal with president Hugo Chavéz of Venezuela.
The Labour Mayor said: "[Mr Chavéz] has given us £14 million that allows people on benefits to get half-price travel on the bus. I would ask him if he is prepared to amend the scheme to cover failed asylum seekers."
Mr Paddick and Ms Berry both gave confident performances. The Lib Dem sang along with the gospel choir and tapped his foot when he took to the stage.
He told the audience: "What I'm offering you is change and somebody who is not interested in talking but is actually interested in getting things done."
Reader views (27)
Congratulations to Boris and Ken both. I think the Labour Party need to rethink and redraft their policies very seriously to lead Britain ahead with a people's agenda of security, price and tax hike. Then obviously they may win again. Good luck Gordon Brown. You are certainly a good man but need to deliver good jobs too.
- Chowdhury Hafizur Rahman, Romford, UK
Better than wanting to be everyone's "enemy" and telling Londoner what they don't want to hear!
- Roger, London
I have been campaigning on the streets for Boris at a number of venues (Vauxhall, Kings Cross, Victoria, Westminster, Embankment)leafleting from the beginning of his campaign and noticed right from the start- interestingly- that it was the immigrant communities who were keener than anyone to take leaflets and talk about Boris. Not one was dismissive or evasive.
The only negative responses I have had have been from white (presumably) dyed in the wool Labour voters who won't even read the literature and inform themselves. They literally shut their eyes and turn away, almost as if they are afraid of being persuaded. They have also been the only ones to be verbally abusive.
My overriding impression is that Boris is much loved by a great cross section of Londoners.
- Susan Wade Weeks, Vauxhall UK
If Boris is elected he will have advisers around him do you think ken makes all the decisions the only thing that will change is the way the money is distributed otherwise business as usual Ken has become corrupt and will only get worse from now.
- Diane Benjamin, london
This is a man who wants to be every ones "friend" appears to tell the audience what they wish to hear.
- Mike Melbourne, Bedford
I've just realised that 'Damian Hockney', who keeps putting his views on these pages, was the 'One London' candidate for the mayoral elections (but has now withdrawn from the mayoral race).
Not that it changes anything- it's just that I didn't realise it when I looked through these pages before.
- Jonathon Morgan, London, UK
The Labour Party gave absolute power to a position they thought they were going to control, and didn't win!
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely
- the power of the Mayor has little if any real accountability and Livingston has exploited his position to an unacceptable extent
- he is now jaded, boring and politically corrupt as a result of the lack of accountability and it really is time for a change.
Boris would refresh the position and will try harder to unite London instead of ruthlessly exploiting class and ethnic division as Livingston does.
- Rodney Bentham-Wood, London
Oh Boris I feel let down: Illegal immigrants are just that - illegal. You did have my vote, now I am floating.
- Libby, London
It's easy to woo a crowd with tit bits like a £7.20 minimum wage. But having Boris, the blond buffoon, in a powerful position that oversees the spending of billions - I am seriously worried. I will leave my home city if Boris becomes our representative, partly because of him and partly because millions of my fellow Londoners think him suitable. He's funny on TV and I don't mind him as a character but having a Ken Dodd working on serious stuff is scary.
- Jack, Highbury
Sorry, but isn't asylum seeking something you're supposed to do before you enter the country, not after you've been caught or when some politician sees a way of cozying up to voters - and I say that even though I like this guy Boris!
- Rogan, DFW Texas
The fact that trade unions disapprove of Boris is precisely why I intend to vote for him. Subsidised travel for failed (or indeed any) asylum seekers would be a mistake though, there are plenty more people out there who are more deserving and actually benefit the country.
- Cm, London
I wonder if Boris "Picaninnies" Johnson felt like the "pangas" were unsheathed, as there were seemingly no "watermelon smiles"?
- Ml, London, United Kingdom
Whomever said "Better the devil you know" was wrong.
Boris may be a buffoon, but his buffoonery is a trait that he can manage. Livingstone is a liar. and Livingstone is a leopard that will never change his spots.
- Tangomike, Kensington, London
It seems as if the entire event was dominated by 'minority ethnic' issues, and indeed all four 'main' candidates seemed almost entirely taken up with courting the minority ethnic vote. The apparent domination of the political agenda by a well organised minority (just about still!) of the London population surely even more necessitates the election of the BNP's Richard Barnbrook to ensure that the interests of the majority ethnic population are defended and earnestly represented.
- D.Rowlands, Central London
Is there a particular reason this article isn't so much a report of the hustings as one of Boris at the hustings? He seems grossly over-represented, especially given how poor a performance he gave.
- Doug, London
It's hard to accept that Boris is being sincere, when he makes pledges to grant immigrant amnesty as Major, when it's something that would take an act of parliament!
- John, Banbury, Oxfordshire
Unfortunately, Damian Hockney Am, the London Mayor can do little to combat the government's decision to tax the poor more. It's a national government issue, not one for the London Mayor.
David Cameron, however, has criticised Labour's actions on this issue.
Meanwhile, "Charlie" claims that most of the audience thought Boris Johnson was a fool.
He asks if the Evening Standard took an audience vote to back up its comments.
The real question is, did you, Charlie?
If the answer is no, then don't pretend that you know what the majority were thinking.
- Robert Cunningham, Harrow, London, UK
I'm no Kennite, but I really I don't understand where Boris thinks he will be getting the money to fund all of his initiatives?!
£7.20 minimum wage, paying Londoners to recycle, tens of thousands of extra affordable homes, those routemasters, all those extra police?
What next, small gold statues of Boris for every home?
- Mark, London
Do you think Boris was sincere in what he said?
I don't and I have to say that's exactly why I'd vote for him!
- Andrew Waldron, Bournemouth, UK
Multi-national companies change their chief executives usually about every 5 years, sometimes a little longer. Why? because they have generally given of their best and many start to think they can walk on water, and believe their own "misspeaks".
Ken Livingstone has been Chief Executive for long enough and is strongly showing these traits - that's why we all need a change.
- Robin, Brentford, UK
Did Brian Paddick really say 'The more people know about me, the more they love me'? Not only vain but utterly deluded. Ken is, sadly, the best of a terrible bunch.
- James, London
Typical Lefties, they always try to shout down anyone to the right of their own views.
- The Gene Genie, Croydon
Nice to know that the mayoral candidates plan to help failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. What are they planning to do to support small local businesses who provide two thirds of London's jobs? Faced with increases in rent and rates, congestion charge and losses from theft which police do nothing about, many local shops and other small businesses may have to close down.
- Anne Wilson, London
How very Zanu Labour - Rent a Mob tactics! The fact is that most working Londoners such as myself do not have time to attend such events. Relax Boris you have my vote! The Mayor's office are working overtime though which is nice to see - lets hope unlike in previous elections that it is not on our tax money!
- Orwell, London
Well of course if you are going to stand policy on its head and agree to do some of the daftest things in order to empathise with the crowd, then of course you are going to get cheers. How depressing and dispiriting. What does that mean to the people of London if a potential Mayor is prepared to turn into part of the left just because of pressure from an audience of a couple of thousand. The answer to low pay is to batter the Government over its recent decision to tax the low paid more. Why should employers (and the state which employs ever more people using taxpayers' money) have to now pay more, only to see most of it back in the hands of the Government through taxation? Someone on £6,000 a year in London pays tax. Is that barmy or is that barmy? But why do the Left (ie Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone and the others invited last night) not fight to scrap taxation of then low paid instead? But then it's not the Tory candidate's money to pledge is is? - it's only yours, the taxpayer, already groaning under ever higher inflation busting increases.
- Damian Hockney Am, London
"Subsidised travel for failed asylum seekers"...? Only if that is there fare home! The whole point is they have failed and therefore should be ejected!
- Mark, London
'But by the end of the event... the jeers had turned to cheers as he won round much of the audience.' Oh really? Did you take a vote? Face it - most of those attending went into that meeting thinking Boris is a fool, and most came out the same way. It was a terrible night for the Tory candidate, whatever spin you put on it. And as for the blond buffoon apparently being 'mobbed for autographs' afterwards - if that's actually true then it simply reinforces my view that he's better suited to Celebrity Big Brother than real politics. And, mark my words, that's where he'll be headed when he loses this election.
- Charlie, Soho
