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Profile: Ian Clement, the strategic planner in Mayor's inner circle
Katharine Barney, City Hall Reporter17.06.09
Ian Clement has been a key figure in the Mayor's inner circle despite not having a profile as high as other deputy mayors.
The former Bexley council leader was brought on board Boris Johnson's mayoral campaign by fellow Bexley councillor Katie Perrior, who was handling PR.
However, unlike other members of Mr Johnson's team he had not been on close terms with the Mayor before the election.
Mr Clement was not seen as a "big ideas" man but helped with the strategic and forward planning elements of the campaign.
When Mr Johnson won the election he was rewarded with a job as deputy mayor in charge of planning.
But when Simon Milton relinquished his posts as leader of Westminster and chairman of the Local Government Association, Mr Clement was downgraded to deputy mayor for government and external relations.
He was asked to help with transport but the director of transport policy, Kulveer Ranger, made it clear he wanted to do the job alone.
Mr Clement differed from others on the appointment of the Met Chief - he preferred Sir Hugh Orde to Sir Paul Stephenson.
He spends time with assembly members such as the outspoken chairman of the fire authority, Brian Coleman.
Reader views (2)
I am surprised that Johnson took Ian Clement on in the first place. The latter has a proven track-record of playing fast and loose with taxpayer's money in Bexley.
- Martin Montgomery, London, England
Surely he was a Big Lunch man rather than a Big Ideas man! Didn't the other Tory Guardians of Taxpayers money ever point out to him that the lunching costs were OTT, or is that what Tory Councillors spend their time doing?It seems every promise about respecting Taxpayer's money is rubbish.
- E Turk, Hampton England
