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Boris leaves Commons to focus on job of Mayor
Pippa Crerar, Political Correspondent4 Jun 2008
Boris Johnson today stepped down as MP for Henley to concentrate fully on his job as London's Mayor.
He announced that all his energy would now be focused on making the capital "a better, easier, more civil place" by the end of his first term.
It brings to an end seven years as one of the most colourful MPs in Parliament during which he held shadow posts including arts and higher education and made a string of public gaffes.
The move will force a by-election in Henley, expected on Thursday 26 June, in which David Cameron is hoping to build on the Tory victory in Crewe and Nantwich.
Mr Cameron highlighted the importance of the contest earlier this week when he travelled to the constituency to endorse the recently selected local candidate John Howell.
Mr Johnson, who announced his stand-down at his first City Hall press conference today, was later expected to challenge Gordon Brown at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.
After PMQs, he will go through the parliamentary convention of accepting an office of the Crown - either the Chiltern Hundreds or the Manor of Northstead - which legally disqualifies him from continuing as an MP.
A friend of the Mayor's told the Evening Standard: "From now on Boris is devoted exclusively to the people of London because in the next two hours he will resign as the MP for Henley.
"He will look back over the last four weeks and look ahead to the next four years and give an outline of what he hopes to achieve as Mayor."
The Mayor's early resignation from Parliament is in stark contrast to his predecessor.
Ken Livingstone only stood down as MP for Brent East after being Mayor for two years when he became aware that it was too time-consuming to combine the two jobs.
The friend also outlined what the Mayor's plans for London are and how concerned he is by the recent spate of stabbings .
"He will indicate the kind of civic Conservatism he believes in. He wants people to have faith that London will be a better, easier, more civil place by the end of his first term than it is now.
"He's deeply honoured and privileged - and slightly in awe - of the responsibility he now faces but excited because this is the best thing he's done in his life."
He said Mr Johnson had been "deeply, personally distressed" by every one of the teenage killings since he took over as Mayor last month. "The last month has brought back to [Boris] the awesome responsibility of his position.
"One of the most sobering things about being Mayor has been hearing about those various killings and each one highlights the challenges ahead."
Reader views (1)
It's good that this has come sooner rather than later; although I somehow think this isn't the last the Commons has seen of Boris...
- Edward, Winchester, 04/06/2008 15:58
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