Tonight:
4°c
Cameron is simply a Spectator at Mayor show
Sebastian Shakespeare, Editor of Londoner's Diary8 May 2008
Borismania came to town last night. The party to celebrate the Spectator's 180th anniversary at the Hyatt Regency Churchill hotel in Portman Square turned into a victory rally for the new Mayor of London.
As soon as the MP for Henley walked into the room he was besieged by photographers and seemed faintly bewildered by the attention normally reserved for the likes of Angelina Jolie.
Mr Johnson, a former editor of the magazine, had renounced alcohol during the mayoral campaign but last night he could not resist a libation. Perhaps it was unwise to be photographed clutching a champagne glass on the day he had announced a drink ban on all public transport to cut crime and anti-social behaviour. However, few could begrudge him the spoils of victory.
The Mayor was among his own tribe and was greeted like a returning conquering hero, swamped with hugs, kisses and warm embraces. Mr Johnson tried to make a low-key entrance by a side door and shook hands with Rod Liddle, the man whose sexual indiscretions led to the Spectator being dubbing the Sextator.
Within seconds he was swamped by photographers, forcing him to make a hasty exit. It all seemed too much. Moments later he reappeared at the other end of the room and was besieged once again.
The new Mayor seemed to be getting more attention than fellow guests of honour David and Samantha Cameron, which may be a sign of things to come.
Spectator editor Matthew d'Ancona praised the smooth transition of power from Ken Livingstone to Boris, saying he hoped to succeed Boris as Mayor in eight years. Boris's sister Rachel, his father Stanley, Lord Patten, Jon Snow, Michael Cockerell, Charles Moore, Brian Walden, Denis MacShane, Adam Boulton and wife Anji Hunter, Phoebe Vela, Spectator's head of corporate affairs, Andrew Neil, David Davis, Ferdinand Mount and Nick Clegg were also there.
