Tonight:
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Boris: 2009 can be year of hope
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard31 Dec 2008
BORIS Johnson will tonight tell partying Londoners to look forward to the end of the recession.
A 200ft-high image of the Mayor will be projected onto a South Bank building as he addresses hundreds of thousands of revellers and tells them: "This recession is going to end."
His upbeat message will be shown just before fireworks mark the arrival of 2009 - and end a year of economic misery. Mr Johnson will say: "There are those who say we should look ahead to 2009 with foreboding. I want to quote Colonel Kilgore in Apocalypse Now when he says 'Someday captain, this war is going to end', and someday, this recession is going to end.
"We can speed the demise of this recession if we all help the poorest in our community and if we make the vital investment that we need in our mass transit system and in fighting crime, so that London emerges at the end better placed to compete and entrenched in its position as the greatest city on earth. We are going to be working flat out at City Hall to achieve that. Let's go forward into 2009 with enthusiasm and purpose. I wish you a very happy New Year."
But his message came amid more signs of the downturn, with the FTSE-100 index losing 32 per cent of its value in a year, an all-time record. It currently stands more than 2060 points lower than its opening mark of 6456.9 for 2008. The pound also slumped to a new low against the euro, at just below €1.02.
* Share prices fall by third in Footsie's worst year
* £65bn wiped off value of company pension schemes
* Thousands of small businesses face bankruptcy
* Mickey Clark: 2009 will provide rich pickings for investors who keep their nerve
Reader views (14)
Boris i have been hoping for years, why should 2009 be any different.
I am hoping for the gas companies to reduce their prices.
I am hoping for the roads to be fixed.
I am hoping for London transport to work.
I am hoping that Labour will be kicked out.
I am hoping for a safer stress free life in London.
Boris i am hoping you can deliver one of the above
- Mr S.Port, London, 06/01/2009 13:45
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Matt in Telford labour did not caused the recession it started in the USA as a stock market went bust.
- Andy, London, 05/01/2009 19:44
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Labour did support the recession. In as much as they caused it.
- Matt, Telford England, 02/01/2009 02:36
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True, but now is not the time to splash money around.
Expenditure must at least be matched by income, and now is not the time of them that be, Boris and Brown and all other authorities (including the EU) to make further demands to increase their take to 'spend'. First balance the books and cut out waste and fraud.
Is it not time that the EU published their accounts and the fraudsters brought to book, and that includes commissioners, and if in charge of a guilty dept, sacked or resign without pay or pensions etc, if not imprisoned if they knew of the wrongdoing.
- Hugh, Middx, 31/12/2008 15:46
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Labour as done something to support the recession not like the Tories party would do nothing.
some people don't see it that the labour party helping people back in to work while they lost there job and making sure people don't lose there
never believe what the tory party say behind it there a lie.
- Andy, London, 31/12/2008 15:44
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Thank you Boris for being the only optimist in a city full of gloomy doom mongers all crying "wolf". Well guess what guys, the noise you are making has attracted the wolf - he's turned up to see what all the fuss is about! If you expect disaster and constantly forecast disaster - you get disaster.
- Kieran, London, UK, 31/12/2008 15:09
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Ego or The Nero Complex. Hopefully 2009 is the year the Standard sticks the knife into this Little Caesar.
- Dhanraj, Basildon Essex, 31/12/2008 14:27
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Another year, another clown.
- Dom, London, 31/12/2008 12:46
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A change in central government away from Crazy Brown would be the nicest thing to look forward to. Boris is OK but that would be my biggest wish for 2009.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London, 31/12/2008 12:36
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You have to create wealth first before you can spend money, a point lost on those Labour supporters who still think there is a money tree growing on the South Bank.
- Steve, London, 31/12/2008 12:22
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Empty waffle.
Is that the best he can do?
- Mike Newland, London, 31/12/2008 11:19
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ha ha ha - not even ken had the ego to project himself onto buildings and give messages - less 2009 -more 1984 - mind you the funniest thing I have heard so far!
- Jc, se1, 31/12/2008 11:18
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Vital investment in our mass transit system eh?.Like cutting the DLR and Croydon tram extensions.
- Colin, barking essex, 31/12/2008 11:09
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Boris,
I lived through the '89 recession and this is quicker and far worse. Don't repeat what Labour promised us in 97 that "Things can only get better"....they will but not for a long while yet!
- Gary Hindley, London, 31/12/2008 10:59
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