• Boris: Smoking ban referendum? I take it back
• Blog: Smoke gets in Boris's eyes

Reader views (69)

 Add your view

It is interesting to note that both Nihal Arthanayake and Boris Johnson both agree that Asians are ‘ethnics’. Surely this is at least incorrect use of language.

- Londoner, London, UK

Just to let you know, Chris Londoner, that I am not, and have not been a member of the Labour Party since November 1997, nor do I vote for a fixed party at each opportunity - I vote for the party whose platform I prefer at whichever election it is. Having said that, Johnson is, was, and always be a twit who will not only be a disaster for the town of my birth and of my family but (and here's where I am almost looking forward to his election) he will also be a disaster for the Tories - always something to look forward to. The politicians I tend to admire are the ones who stay close to their convictions (Tony Benn, Michael Foot, e.g.). Politicians I don't admire are those who have no real conviction towards the role they suddenly aspire to (MPs who ship out towards supposedly safer seats, MPs who have/had no connection with a town whatsoever and then aspire to be its Mayor - good on the CV probably!). I also don't admire politicians who have conversations with old public school chums and agree to provide addresses so that journalists can be beaten up (the evidence is on tape), as much as I might dislike the newspaper for which that journalist wrote.

- Brian Capaloff, Falkirk, Scotland (Formerly London)

What's the problem? The fact Boris doesn't cling to his ethnic roots? It's called 'integrating into the host society', something that used to be considered good.

- Anonymous, Internets

I think it's fairly interesting that this topic has generated so many posts. Ken and his cronies are resorting to the usual left strategy of trying to close down the argument by calling the opposition 'racist' and so the issue of race has become the one question that is rolled out to Boris at all the hustings and in all the interviews. It has become a totemic issue for anyone sceptical about Boris, but it deserves further investigation.
For those of us who support Boris (and I am from an ethnic minority) it's important to challenge these claims that Boris is a racist. As many people have noted, it distracting attention away from the major issues at stake here.
To those who would call Boris a racist, I say go and read what he said, the full versions, in context. Not the versions that are edited out of context and used to slander him. Boris is no racist, I would not ever support a racist.
Irrespective of colour, race, gender London deserves a better mayor. Vote for Boris on May 1st.

- Tim For Change, London, UK

My Family come from Poplar/Bow areas of London,bombed out in 1940 ,moved to Dagenham. I came along in 1946,and have many earlier memories of the bombsites in those areas. I haven't been that way for over 20 years, but what I can gather ,its not a very nice place to live now. The millions who fought in the 2 great wars I tend to think had their guns pointing the wrong way, we have been lied to and deceived ever since.

- D.H.Boater, Ipswich Suffolk U.K.

I'm not a big fan of the man, but Boris here seems to be doing no more than quipping at the political trend of proving you're an every-man for everyone. So, Mr Johnson comes across a little abrupt and flippant --- big shock! People who find these comments offensive must live in a wonderful oasis in London I have unfortunately missed.

- Richard, London

BoJo mate, PadPo is po-faced and just doesn't get it does he. Funny and smart and not a crook like the current Mayor. You got my vote.

- Tony G, Muswell Hill, London

The man is a buffoon, along with all the others, there's only one man for the job "Richard Barnbrook".

- Mark Vickers, crawley england

People, lighten up. Boris was clearly being tongue in cheek, it's called having a sense of humour

- Del Boy, London

I'm surprised Londoners aren't terrified when they see what's put in front of them. Good luck, you're gonna need it.

- John Grant, Armagh, NI

Brian Capaloff - repeat whiner, or should I say Nu-Labour plant? You could at least try changing your name every time you wheel out your tired rhetoric. Your boys are going down.

- Chris Londoner, London

Yeah save because funny is what you look for in somebody to run a major city!
There is no real reason to vote for Boris.
If you think everything is fine, vote for Ken.
If you think the problems crime vote for Brain.
I mean a liberal policeman is exactly the kind of cop that can help sort out the gun crime without starting riots!

Police on buses?

More visible police simply move the crime about, actually solving crimes is the only way to sort the problem. Stick police on buses, muggers will get you at bus stops, but as somebody living in hackney, I sure as hell don't feel unsafe on the buses, and if I wanted more police I'd want them on the street or watching our excessive cctv cameras!

Less affordable housing?
Yeah London has way too many teachers, nurses & police! this one is just ridiculous

Bendy busses?
A Bendy bus is still the most efficient way to get a lot of people to and from central London, the doors open, people get on/off quickly, none of the stairs or crampednes by the door. Sure there are some people that skip the fair (not that many now tfl get you for £2000 if your caught), but people skip fares on all the buses. Every seen a bus driver get out and force somebody to pay on a standard bus?

- John, London

Just another example of vile politicians trying to influence people to vote for them on anything but whether they can do the job right. This is why England is a sinking ship...

- Paul, Wolverhampton

I don't live in London and can't vote - I also wouldn't vote for Boris.

But - How is it alright for the presenter to say "Okay, let's not try to out-brown each other" and wrong for Boris to say he can "out ethnic" him?

Lets play fair - oh sorry this is politics...

- Peter Smith, Southampton uk

Pippa Crerar seems to have taken more offence than the radio presenter... Pippa... Crerar... hmm?

- Doofus, Ipswich

David from Lincoln must be coupled with Boris on the idiot tote, is he really that stupid to call for a buffoon like Boris to be in charge of a city which is the economic capital of the world. We have idiots and thieves in charge here as well, so I know what happens when they get into power.

- Sandy Taylor, Durban, South Africa

Boris is a decent and good humoured person who does have ethnic roots, unlike the amoeba Livingstone. We have all see that Boris is proud of his roots and genuinely takes an interest in the ethnic minorities of London. What does Chairman Ken do? He spouts off in a politically correct, embarrassingly patronising way, almost insulting the London's ethnic communities.
Just like the embarrassing political correctness obsessed buffoon who masquerades as Met Police Commissioner Ian Blair, Ken is an insult to London and both off them should be shipped off to the planet from which they came.

- Daniel Howard, London,UK

I suggest that David keeps his eye on local politics in Lincoln instead of butting into Londoners' affairs.

Whilst I don't think there is anything particularly wrong with what Boris said it isn't funny and this shows that he is liability for to London. Go Ken!

- Liam, United Kingdom

If you are going to panda slavishly to the 'ethnic' minority in this unseemly way as all the candidates (except you know) do, then you deserve to be interviewed by Ali G's kid brother. Yet more proof that these jokers are not fit to represent native British Londoners.

- D. Rowlands, Central London

Though no fan of Boris, it is tiresome the way people pick on him for not playing up to our contemporary cultural cringe over ethnic minorities. It doesn't matter a stuff how many bhangra gigs a Mayoral candidate has been to. What matters is how competent he or she is at running London's key services and representing the city abroad.

- Fred, London

The Radio presenter just wanted to embarrass Boris Johnson.
Bringing Race into the interview was a cheap move, Well Done Boris for the way you handled it.

- Amy, London

I think we've all had enough of this morbid preoccupation with "ethnicity".
The Election is about who will serve Londoners as Mayor.
That means "Londoners" not ethnic minority or majority Londoners or gay or straight Londoners, nor left-handed or right-handed Londoners.
There are other, and more important, issues which affect everyone, and they are getting forgotten in this shaming and divisive business.
Boris is actually the most "ethnically diverse" of the lot. Which is not why I'm supporting him!

- Robert, Herts

Wow some people really have it in for Boris, that was pretty funny to me and I'm Asian. Some people need to calm down, it's silly hissy fits like this, that diminish the severity of true racial prejudice.

I'm glad the writer of this piece was decent enough to include the transcript.

- Sonny Sidhu, Leicester, United Kingdom

Can't anyone have a laugh in politics anymore? It takes a lot of intelligence and bravery to not to 'suck-up' to the journo trying to rile him. Vote Boris! It's about time there was some spark in London instead of depressing misguided Ken.

- Mai, London

I fail to see the problem, it was no more than light hearted banter. It shows the man is human. As for Brian Paddicks comments, he needs to lighten up.

- James, Norwich England

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. It's clearly just banter, and yet again the press tries to spin it as racist.

- Ken, London

He's a comedian, but not a mayor. What will happen if something goes wrong? He will make a joke out of it, because that is his trade. He does not have the right qualifications.

- Andreasegde, Linz, Austria

More sensationalism from the Boris-hating press.

- Sean, London, England

London is a slummy dump full of pimps, hustlers and all manner of the third worlds' rejects.
How does multiculturalism actually tangibly benefit us? The soft-touted positives of curry houses, mosques and cheap MSG laden Chinese take-away hardly balance the huge increase in crime, anti-social behaviour, human and sexual trafficking, fraud and violence that ethnics indisputably bring.
No- facts are facts- 1960's mono cultural London and Britain was a much finer place to live and actually garnered world respect rather than open ridicule.
That's why I left the UK- too many ethnics- not enough native British.
BNP- lead the way. Oh- and put that in your pipe and smoke it Leftists mincers.

- Peter, Bath

Judging by the transcript it seems to me they were just giving each other a 'friendly ribbing'.

- James, Worksop

Have the major parties forgotten the people that make up the majority in London, i.e the white English voter. I don't see these clowns pandering to them. Give me strength.

- Anglicus, Woking, UK

You've got to love the man. Probably totally inept at the job, but seriously good value.

- Ken, London

Is it not plain to all that there is something very wrong with our country when politicians are now having to court the ethnic vote to make sure they get in. Are these the same ethnics who wanted to come to Britain to assimilate, but now have the destiny of our country in their hands? Is the indigenous vote no longer of any interest to the LibLab = Con, or do they know that the outnumbered indigenous people probably wouldn't give them their vote- well the ones with any brains in their heads at least. What the hell did my father and his generation fight for.. There'll always be an England"...not from where I'm standing.

- Err, Can Anyone Else See It?, I no longer know

I don't live in London. I know nothing apart from what it looked like before the days of the Faberge Egg building when a relation lived there. Day trips to the science museum, Moma etc. I loved it but was scared of it at the same time. Too much hustle, bustle and scary types. But hey ho. Some love to live with it. Some love to spend all their money on heinous rents to be where it all is. Fair enough.

But here's the thing. Everyone else is to blame for it's expense, busy-ness and wear and tear. No one individual seems to come forward and say "over population", "there's too many" or "it's my fault".

In walks a Mayor to take the blame...

- Simon, Ox

Well done Boris, you answered the question with exact amount of seriousness it demanded. It is fantastic to hear someone who actually speaks what is on his mind. I much prefer that to the puritanical sensitivity you get elsewhere, which to me sounds like real hypocrisy.

- Paul Wilson, Bristol

I find Boris Johnson an embarrassing grovelling idiot.
No doubt he will soon discover he has Irish and Black relatives if he feels he needs more of a public boost.

- Jeremy Alan Owen, Hook England

We're all ethnic, now. It's the only way to get special treatment.

- Jamal, London.

This is so funny!
I would love to see Boris out-ethnic anyone with his furry blond hair. Precious! Vindaloo Boris haha. I am not a Boris supporter, but this is so silly it is almost endearing really.

- Bariah, Sutton, UK

I'm sure Boris was simply trying to get the presenter off the race issue and communicate his policies. I'm sure ethnic voters are not going to decide solely on whether they think the candidate will turn up for a bhangra gig!

- Mark, London

Heavens, all this ethnicity garbage is such a load of rubbish - rather like Livingstone wanting more black cabbies, that could be seen as offensive to the many Jewish taxi drivers.

And the Mayor wasn't spending time with his family, making him late for a meeting, he was stuck on the Tube.

- Sjm, London

Ha ha, Boris is the the man, you have to love him.

- Zanx, London

Ken's trolls are out and busy on this page as well. Honestly, guys. You're just like the members of the Nashi youth movement who turn up in the comments whenever President Putin is discussed in a western newspaper.

Ah yes - that's because your respective bosses learned their methods from the same instructors...

- Ollie, London

Who says you can't be white, posh and ethnic? I'm 1/4 Hungarian, 1/4 German, 1/4 New Zealander of Welsh origin and 1/8 Italian, way more "ethnic" than most of the people who claim to be a minority.

- Liz, London

As a 'fellow ethnic' I am having trouble seeing what exactly was wrong with Boris' statement to Nihal. The 'Picanninies'statement was unacceptable yes and using that word does show ignorance but this latest article is just journalistic whoring. Get on with slating their policies and forget all this personal crap!

- Dilan, London, UK

I am staggered by anyone foolish enough to take this seriously. Sometimes, without hearing audio, it can be easy to misinterpret conversations based just on reading a transcript. However, in this case it is still so completely obvious that this conversation was just light hearted banter, even without hearing the audio track. What this shows is not Boris making a gaff, but showing he is intelligent and comfortable enough to take a light hearted approach to answering these sorts of questions that are thrown at him. Boris is not getting sucked in by the culture in this country of being irrationally politically correct. Having a bit of banter does not make him a racist. And please, Clive, can you explain to the rest of us what you mean by a "non-ethnic" person? It is clearly your misunderstanding of ethnicity that has led to your unfair criticism of Boris.

- Andrew Easter, London, UK

Once again what sounds like a bit of banter has been blown out of all proportion. I respect Boris for bringing a light hearted approach to what was clearly another case of 'Boris Bating' in an otherwise jovial chat.

- Balraj, London

Give me a comedian any day Ken has been taking the P out of us for years.

- Dave, Croydon

No wonder the latest poll on politics.co.uk puts the British National Party on 14 percent!

- Johnyplumstead, plumstead, London

Absolutely brilliant, made me laugh out loud. How can anyone call Boris a twit based on this? At last a refreshing change to political correctness and a bloke just being honest and giving as good as he gets. Go for it Boris, for those of us not in London Village it makes a great spectacle. As for those criticising him, lighten up and crawl back to whatever dark space you normally inhabit.

- Mark, Yorkshire

Some people take this way too seriously. It's clear the presenter - and anyone else who brings up race - is simply trying to provoke a comment out of Boris. How cheap can you get? It's amazing how the 'ethnics' have played into Labour's hands, time and time again. The same ethnics that support Conservative politics back home.

- Banti Singh, London, England

Boris all the way. He is funny and not politically correct which is great.

- David, Lincoln

It would be interesting if there was a video of this story, we may find the story may have another half.

Body language is a big contributing factor in this kind of exchange and much can be left out by words.

- Jason, London

God forbid we ever wind up with this clown as London mayor. Are we really so keen to be the laughing stock of the world? It's been a long slow process of regeneration of our infrastructure after decades of neglect and it's unbelievable that anyone might risk that by electing someone as patently incompetent as Boris.

- James, London, UK

Forget the responses - how can you have a sensible political debate when the level of questioning sinks to "are you down with the ethnics"? And Boris said, you cant out ethnic me Nihal, not what Paddick claimed that he said he could out ethnic anyone. Sad really.

- Nick, London

What does being Mayor of London have to do with someone's ethnicity when it comes to getting the tube train you're waiting for to arrive on time or to make the bus turn up? Too much time and effort is spent on Multiculturalism and not enough time on making things work properly. Why do all these nationalities want to come and live in London? Is it cos Boris is more Muslim than Paddick? Or cos Paddick is more gay than Ken?

- Mark, London, England

Can someone please keep BJ quiet until May 2nd?

- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland

Oh for goodness sakes, how is saying 'You can't out-ethnic me' offensive? I simply don't understand how it is offensive in any way.

These morons that are trying to make this mayoral contest about race are simply trivialising the whole thing. It's clear that Boris, as Mayor Ken has said, is not a racist is any way whatsoever. He's spoken out against the BNP, he's apologised for the phrases he used years ago and he's married to a half Indian lady. How much more non-racist do you want him to be? Time to move the debate on to what matters! Crime, transport, kids, business rates, etc.

- George, London

Since when is being an English person not ethnic? What the hell is Nihal Arthanayake thinking asking if someone is "down with the ethnics"? What a ridiculous question! Shame on Boris for falling into this journalistic trap.

Everyone in the world has ethnicity...


- Phil Style, London

"Why is Boris such a twit?" The answer is, because he is! Pure and simple. Just like a certain woodcare product it does what it says on the tin. And if he wins that's what London will get - a twit as the mayor of one the most important towns in the world. Second thoughts? I would hope so!

- Brian Capaloff, Falkirk, Scotland (Formerly London)

Th presenter was trying to make him look silly but Boris dealt with it. I hate when they do this. Let him spell out his policies, Ken's lost the plot and we need a mayor who treats everyone equal.

- Dave Angel, Stockwell

Boris is so going to be a disaster if he's elected. Why do most non-ethnic people think that in order to be down with ethnic people, they have to know everything about ethnic people? It doesn't work like that. We are not stupid and we can see through all of Boris' pretence. He's such a twit. So unnecessary.

- Clive, London, UK

What Boris meant was this whole ethnic thing is screwed up and far from making a level playing field for people from different cultures it is seen as something that has been taken over by people like Livingstone for their own ends.

- Kenherts, Enfield

Some in the ethnic minorities simply want it both ways: No special treatment but then when it suits them, special treatment. And yes I can speak as an "ethnic" myself since half of me is from one of the world's smallest ethnic minorities, the Finnish people.

- Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland

Quality! It's so obvious that this was light-hearted banter that I think it reflects very poorly on those who want to make more of it.
I am so looking forward to living in a city where people can josh around with each other without fear of Livingstone's thought police turning up to tell us all how serious everything is.

- St, London

It sounds like you have taken a fairly light-hearted conversation and tried to turn it in to some racist slur.

Ken obviously thinks he can take the Asian vote for granted now he has got his Islamist friends to mount a campaign if he missed half of the show.

Fingers crossed Ken's kids get to see a lot more of him after May 1st.

- Emma, London, UK

I was listening to this and the presenter wasn't bothered by the comments. It was just a bit of fun and bantering.

- Elisabeth, London, UK

Why is this such a big deal?

It's obvious that Boris meant it as a joke.

Even Nihal Arthanayake talked about "out-browning" each other.

It seems that every effort is being made to smear Boris using something totally trivial.

- Robert Cunningham, Harrow, London, UK

He's pretty irrepressible isn't he?
Though he is making a point - no one should have special kudos just because they're from an ethnic minority, otherwise we will descend into the farcical world of Ken Livingstone; where minorities try to play the victim and race card to cover up their personal deficiencies.

- Sarah N., London

Why is Boris such a twit? In an ethnicity debate he only has to say that all of us are mixed up and there is no such thing as racial purity and Londoners are Londoners no matter what colour they are. Please remember this and stop screwing up Boris! we are all fed up with Ken, but at this rate you risk making yourself unelectable.

- Helen David, London UK

Add your comment