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Well Boris, you'd best remember this weekend well as it's the point where your ineptitude well and truly scuppered any hope of re-election!

- David, Bexhill, UK, 09/08/2011 23:07
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Well Boris, you'd best remember this weekend well as it's the point where your ineptitude well and truly scuppered any hope of re-election!

- David, Bexhill, UK, 09/08/2011 23:05
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Johnson should just slip away quietly and get himself a talkshow. He has no idea what to do in a situation like this. His puppet Malthouse is no better. Get rid of these leeches.

- Uncle Paulie, London UK, 09/08/2011 09:46
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The firefighters are kept in reserve until the Police allow them into an area which they can keep safe from rioters.
This type of extraordinary demand on the Fire service is one of the reasons that Brian Coleman used when he took out a multi million pound contract on behalf of the people of London with a company called Assetco to provide additional appliances and crews.
Would Mr Coleman please advise us how many Assetco crews have been deployed since the weekend?
Or,was it just a lie that Assetco were going to provide additional capacity?

- Bill Pitt, Victoria, 09/08/2011 08:32
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Boris relaxed by the pool while London burned.

- Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher, 09/08/2011 07:02
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Boris is useless.He is returning tail between his legs not to save London,but to try and save his political career.
Stay away Fatboy,we dont want you.

- dave, london, 09/08/2011 06:54
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Green mayoral candidate Jenny Jones is as usual using this to further her narrow and self-seeking little career. Another of those loud-mouthed waste if space opposition politicians that is fuelling the problem rather than openly and irrefutably condemning the criminals that are destroying the city. Shame of her and another instance of her showing here true amoral self and, like Ken Livingstone, not knowing when shut up. Another nasty morally bereft mayoral candidates puting her own career before her public responsibilities.

- Sir Notso Stu-Pidfool, London, 09/08/2011 03:39
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let's send in the army to stop this mess without further delay. shoot all looters if necessary. why is the police just standing around with their riot shields doing nothing. if the orders come from the top, then the leader should be sacked. where are the fire fighters to put out the fires ?

- jo., london.uk, 09/08/2011 01:09
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Maybe now would be a good time for the Government to remind the police they plan to make them work an extra 5 years whilst having pension contributions hiked to 14%.
A job that is obviously so simple and undemanding does not require reasonably young and fit people doing it.I am sure that 60 year old riot police will be able to cope with the physical demands that are currently placed on those serving in Londons riot zones.

- Bill Pitt, Victoria, 08/08/2011 22:35
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Send in the army - with their experience from Northern Ireland, they should be able to give these yobs the battering they deserve.

- Stirling, London, 08/08/2011 21:48
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re: M Clift Worcester.

Fires have started in Croydon to my and many residents dismay.

Please send your 4,000 baton wielding Police and a few hundred Police Dogs. No holds barred please!

I do hope that our £130k per year, he thinks he is worth it Cllr S O'Connell, GLA Member immediately resigns!

- Guy, Croydon, 08/08/2011 21:07
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Long live the left - the foolish people whose incredible inability to understand social order and are the root cause of this uncontrolled criminality. Time let the police do their jobs without always any politicians’ having to be seen and make frivolous remarks. Livingston et al have spent of vote-extorting appeasement to enable this ill educated group of social misfits to have such freedom to abuse this city and all its inhabitants. It is time to meet them firmly with a similar attitude to theirs. Otherwise we all loose.

- Sir Notso Stu-Pidfool, London, 08/08/2011 20:42
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re: M Clift, Worcester

Bravo, well said.

- Guy, Croydon, 08/08/2011 20:35
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I find it quite amazing. In private industry you can never usually have all the bosses away at the same time.
We have no prime minister, no chancellor, both the top cops have resigned, Boris still away. Now we learn that the commander of the Police in Tottenham still had to go to Florida for her holidays. The ordinary rank and file coppers have their days cut and changed so why is she so special. Surely that comes with climbing the ladder of promotion and large salary.

- Amber in Mitchaml., mitcham surrey, 08/08/2011 19:32
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Being ex Met I would say that the further this buffoon stays away from the place whilst there are serious things to be done, then the better for everyone concerned, particularly the Police who he done much to undermine, interfere and demoralise. The blackest day for the Met Police was when this clown was given a say in policing. At the moment there are enough people with something to say without adding to the problem of "to many cooks spoil the broth". Yes, once again the Met Police fail lamentably to grip the serious question of largescale rioting but one of the problems is having to many people, all with something to say on the Police.
If we wish to decisively put an end to this anarchy then the Home Secretary needs to tell every provincial force in the country to send 100 officers immediately to London (that would be roughly 4,000 coppers) - just imagine what they could do to stop the ardour of these criminals. At present, the Police are outnumbered, impotent, indecisive and look on disinterestedly whilst their vehicles are destroyed, shops are looted and the number of injured officers are out of all proportion to the number of injured criminals. They have learned nothing, neither has this government, neither has this country. This is what mass, uncontrolled immigration has led to and they should be taught a lesson to respect civilised values. Only swamping the area with masses and masses of Police will do the job of wielding batons, banging heads and arresting people.

- M. Clift., Worcester., 08/08/2011 19:29
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Our politicians think they are still at school. They take 6-7 weeks off in the summer, 2-3 weeks at both Easter and Christmas and of course one week every school half-term. We should give them the £30 per week given to 6th form students stopping their current pay, pension and perks while of course providing them with short trousers so they can really play the part.

- Guy, Croydon, 08/08/2011 19:10
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It is about time the masses from the ghettos were spread around the country thinly. Too many of these people crammed into a small area is bound to cause us all trouble. There will never be a longterm improvement in general behaviour or employment. Look at what it is costing us all. How about the open spaces of Scotland or Northern Ireland ? This is our capital city.

- Michael, Kensington, UK, 08/08/2011 18:57
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Forget Boris, where's Cameron,has he not been informed that he is missing out,there are hundreds of hoodies wanting to be hugged.

- James T Herriot (Conservatives can do no wrong), London, 08/08/2011 18:21
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Thank God this will only happen in the ghetto areas of London,a direct result of giving our country away.

- Sally, Sittingbourne, 08/08/2011 18:08
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It's time we dealt with this feckless, lazy, cheating rabble once and for all.



We can vote out the blonde one next year, and then we'll get shot of the coalition of the lazy, useless and entitled at the first opportunity.



Mind you, why are we all surprised that Boris isn't doing much? He's done precious little since he was elected, other than claim credit for other people's ideas and implementations, and for some reason we think that getting him back would have a positive effect!

Lazy, lazy, lazy Boris.

- Fresh, London, 08/08/2011 18:06
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I doubt if Boris would do any good - I've not been impressed by his leadership qualities so far - but it would be a gesture of support for the police and the communities who are affected by the riots. And it might help counter the belief that he's just another rich toff playing politics when it suits him.

- pal, london,uk, 08/08/2011 17:50
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"They" won't let me work from home so neither should Boris be allowed to. Simple as that.

Where has he gone anyway?

- Johnjee, Bow, Tower Hamlets, 08/08/2011 17:50
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With Boris back in London, it might only stir up more trouble. He should be on permanent leave.

- John Markham, New York, USA, 08/08/2011 17:47
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What can BJ do, his house is not in the line of fire.

What do you expect him to do, return and hug a hoodie!

- Frank, Copenhagen, Denmark, 08/08/2011 17:39
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There are 33 boroughs in London and numerous important things to worry about. The activities of idiot riffraff can be dealt with by the police without any deep thought. Most of the population have more important things to concern themselves with. Our leaders are important to us. By the look of the insulting remarks levelled at Boris and David by certain halfwits thank God for the majority opinion.

- Michael, Kensington, UK, 08/08/2011 17:36
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Who are the halfwits who think our PM and mayor should finish their well earned holidays and "be seen" parading through the worst parts of London surveying the results of Rentamob activities ? They need their holidays as they have important jobs to do. It is the job of our police to take decisions on dealing with this filth and protecting the innocent, not politicians. I support the police and consider they are doing their best, without upsetting the great unwashed with their comments. Who are the idiots who think they can demand explanations on the death of the gangster with his replica gun and criminal past before the investigation is published. If you point a replica gun at the armed police what do you expect ?

- Michael, Kensington, UK, 08/08/2011 17:29
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Ken Livingston would say what he said but that's not the case.
If the Mayors deputy can't handle the situation without the Mayor himself then there shouldn't be that kind of position in the Mayors office.

- Kc, Kyrenia Northern Cyprus, 08/08/2011 16:49
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What rubbish.

It is silly season and self publicity by other politicians.

Holidays are holidays and should be kept. these calls for the PM and Chancellor and Mayor to be recalled are just silly. they need a break to recharge their batteries and have family time like all he rest of us.

- Michael Corby, London UK, 08/08/2011 16:43
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Not really part of "HIS" London is it.

- Mike Melbourne, Bedford, 08/08/2011 16:43
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Surely there must be a better choice than Boris or Ken. Constantly out of the frying pan into the fire. Ken has had four goes and achieved nothing, Boris, well the only reason for voting for him is so he does not return to parliament and tries to become Prime Minister. Meanwhile the Liberals cant even think of a candidate. while who wants to bus everywhere with a green candidate.

- Alan., England., 08/08/2011 16:39
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Who cares if Boris or Ken or Hampstead resident David Lammy tour Tottenham etc? The end result will be the same: the lazy and the looters, the threateners, the beater-uppers, the lazy, the serial-pregnant, the gang fighters in the A&E wards, the arsonists and those who wasted their expensive tax funded education to achieve nothing, the incoherent, the amoral, the drug dealers and takers, the waste of spacers, will all still be rewarded with increased gigantic sums of money - again – wrested from the protesting taxpayer, accompanied not even by a clean up brush and orders to get the streets in good order again or by an eviction notice from state funded housing, but by soft cries of 'poor, blameless of anything you', 'evil people are sooo wrongly against you'...., 'none of it is your fault'...., 'wicked old police and firemen'....’.

- helen, norwich, 08/08/2011 16:34
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Nothing will happen to the looters because the political will is not there to deal with it. It has been govt policy since the 80's to throw money into these 'disaffected areas' and implement 'sensitive policing' - ie appeasement. A good cold snap of weather and millions of pounds will eventually calm it all down! In the meantime the shops affected by the trouble will simply claim for the damage on their insurance and life will carry on as before - and Boris,Dave etc all know that.

- lou, east london, 08/08/2011 16:31
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Even if he could do as much from his holiday yacht as he could from City Hall, the seriousness of these events demand London's political chief be seen on the ground. Staying on holiday is a mistake.

- Sean O'Conor, Finsbury Park, England, 08/08/2011 16:23
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Can't think of anything positive this mayor has done for London. But the list of negatives are stacking up...

- Chris, Tulse Hill, 08/08/2011 16:17
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Mr Johnson can do little even if he did return. The work of getting the situation normalised will have to be done by the councils involved, possibly with the assistance of those who have been victimised by all this savagery. What happened in north London at the weekend was a serious disturbance but it wasn't the Blitz. Once the glass has been swept up and the shops restocked residents can get on with a normal life again. The savages who carried out the looting and pillaging were probably mostly from outside the borough but if they were home grown they will be identified and jailed, hopefully for life, as the Riot Act allows for these offences.
The looters are very fortunate. In other countries they would have been shot on sight by police. Perhaps these rioters should go to Syria, or North Korea, and see what happens there when you participate in a public disturbance. The disaffected youth in these urban areas complain that they are 'persecuted' by the police, but they don't know what persecution is. How about being dragged into Enfield Police Station and having a jaw or teetch smashed with a rifle butt. Some police forces will organise summary executions for launching a burning wheelie bin at a police station. 'Disaffected youth?' They only thing that threatens to destroy them is the garbage they eat, the trash they listen to and the mumbo jumbo they watch. They have never known hunger or war. They ought to get off their burger inflated bums and try fighting the Taliban.

- Dave, Devon, UK, 08/08/2011 16:09
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No one doubts people if they work hard need some time off, but when you are PM or Mayor natural responsibilities change because people locally in the case of the Mayor and across the country in regards to Mr Cameron need assurances that someone is at the helm. Phone calls every few hours are wholly insufficient. Messrs Cameron, Clegg, Osborne, and Johnson, get off your pompous patronising and lazy fat a~ses and start for one doing some real time work.
You can't expect to command any good will while there is an economic mess out there and we have uncontrolled almost spontaneous riots.
Nero fiddled while Rome burned, get your acts in gear, and get home to the UK and start co-ordinating what hneeds to be done from the home base.
The Evening Standard is a great paper but to seek to not highlight the anxiety many feel puts it at odds with appearing to be representing Londoners in a fair fashion and turninhg into a puppet of theis present government.

- Robert Marshall, London, 08/08/2011 16:04
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Why doesn't he tell us all some jokes in Latin. He is good at that.

- Richard, Hackney, 08/08/2011 15:44
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Ladies and Gentleman,
Taxpayers of London Town.
A vote for Red Ken is a vote for 4 years of tax rises.
He has mugged you in the past and he and his friends are waiting to do it again.
The tube was just as bad under Red Kenneth,don't let him rob you again so he can open an office in North Korea.

- Les Pigeons de Muzzers, Muzzerville, 08/08/2011 15:20
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In our company the Chairman, the MD and all the Directors, cannot be away at the same time. One senior Executive and 2 Directors have to remain to steer the company. The same applies at Management level. No 2 departments heads can be away at the same time. For goodness sake, why do the government not understand why they too cannot all be away at the same time. It's not like it is the first time something terrible has happened whilst they have been away. Shockingly self centred, the whole lot of them!

- suspicious, London, 08/08/2011 15:20
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I think Boris should stay away. Permanently! This country is in the xxxx at the moment but do our leaders care? Don't be silly The riots are really good advertising for our forthcoming Olympics. It's comforting to know we have such a caring government - but the only thing they care about is themselves.

- Steve, Bexhill-on-Sea, 08/08/2011 15:17
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Has he sent a saucy postcard to lift morale?

- Gresham, Marbella, Spain, 08/08/2011 15:02
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Boris would not be able to add to any thing that is already being done, so what would be the point of him returning, the army should be called in to deal with these anarchist scum

- peter, london, 08/08/2011 14:48
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he's a clown...make him stay away...

- johnny soho, london SW1, 08/08/2011 14:38
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Two nights of riots, stock market falling like a stone and where are the PM, the Deputy PM, the Home Secretary and the Mayor? Do these people have such a low opinion of themselves that they don't feel it is necessary for one of them at least to remain at the tiller? And no, I don't think taking calls from the beach counts as being just as in touch.

- Bloke, Lambeth, 08/08/2011 14:36
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Let's face it, if it isn't Kensington & Chelsea he doesn't give a s**t.

- Jonty, London, 08/08/2011 14:35
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@ashwin. Islington is New Labour, Boris lives there uncomfortably.
BTW, so many Labour supporters, Red Ed'd office has done a good job blaming all these politicinas. Labour imported all these people in massive numbers.

- Jacob, London, 08/08/2011 14:31
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Com'on Borris - there is a price for being a leader of me!

Doont throw the election away like this!

- Fulhamite, Fulham, 08/08/2011 14:21
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In no other Industry would The Captain (Cameron) the Vice Captain (Cleggy)and the clown (Osbourne) take holidays at the same time. After all they do have ten weeks to choose from between them.

- KATE, MANCHESTER, 08/08/2011 14:15
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One question for our Boris,whats he going to do next year when he has to face the following . The tube with signal failures,strikes, the buses, a walk out in certain garages over pay,power, not enough to provide London with electricity 24 hours a day so cuts in certain parts of London.The riots we've seen return on a larger scale because of contact through networking sites. And last but not least, a terrorist attack.Will our Mayor throw in the towel?

- Hamilton Straker., Ealing West London, 08/08/2011 14:11
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and what exactly would the politicians be able to do if they interrupted their holidays? I'd rather the Police just got on working out how to prevent this and catch those responsible, rather than having update meetings with politicians.

- Simon, London, 08/08/2011 14:02
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Does BoJo even know where Tottenham is? Has he ever been further than Islington in his life-- still not like him to miss a photo-opportunity and appear both concerned and dumb at the same time.

- ashwin, London,UK, 08/08/2011 14:02
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Please note.Boris dont give a sh-t.ps,why has the Evening Standard removed all comments of the main artical.Was this decision made by politicians as stated on Facebook and is this paper run by the goverment.

- dave, london, 08/08/2011 14:01
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He's as useless as a chocolate teapot even when he's here, so it makes no difference whether he stays away or returns. If he were any good as Mayor, he would WANT to return though, but he's not interested in anything but himself. He's a politician after all and it's all about ME ME ME ME ME...

- jb, sussex, 08/08/2011 13:58
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He could wave his old Etonian Tie at them.

- Charly, London, 08/08/2011 13:58
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The police get away with murder. Literally. No wonder there are riots on the street. Nobody cares and nobody does anything about police brutality.

- Baron von Richtofen, Biggin Hill, 08/08/2011 13:38
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May I quote William Hague?"We should never forget that people, not impersonal forces of history, are at the heart of these events. The young people I have met in recent visits to the region are motivated by the desire to change their country for the better, and to live freer and more dignified lives. They worry about how to achieve better standards of education, higher levels of employment and less corruption, and they want security and political stability. It would be wrong to turn our backs on them. To support their aspirations is to be true to our commitment to freedom, while being led firmly by our own enlightened national interest".

- Annie X Kews., London , England., 08/08/2011 13:35
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The local community has made their mind up and whether or not Boris returns won't change that

- Johnny Reggae, south east, 08/08/2011 13:32
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The Met police is already under massive fire over phone hacking. They are embroiled in claims of corruption by being paid by journalists. Which is still clearly going on because how are newspapers getting "details" relating to Mr Duggan, if not from the police then from who. Whether you like Boris or not whether you support him or not is not the issue, HE is the Mayor and his duty is to serve London and Londoners. London is on the brink of chaos. The Met police officers on the ground must have the visible backing and support of the Mayor, they must be on the brink of exhaustion.

One can only quote General Melchett in Blackadder when he says that is "right there behind his men on the front line" to which Blackadder replies "yes...about 10 miles behind".

- Barry, Kidbrooke, 08/08/2011 13:28
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I must say, being at one with Boris is not a position I find myself in very often. However, on this occasion, I agree with his decision to remain on holiday with his family. I fail to see just how his coming back early from his holiday will improve the situation in any way. It is the police that are responsible for law and order, not Boris.

- Franklin, Thornton Heath, 08/08/2011 13:24
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What's he supposed to do, wave his wiff-waff bat at them?

- Keith, King's Cross, 08/08/2011 13:18
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He may as well stay where he is... he does SFA anyway.

- Crazy Hippie, Airstrip One, Oceania., 08/08/2011 13:11
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What good would he do? Another blustering, tousled haired TV appearance? useless idiot!

- Ranter, Maidstone, UK, 08/08/2011 13:09
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Two thoughts on Ken:

This situation is not even remotely comparable to 7/7.

We won the Olympics on 6/7 so why was he still in Singapore on 7/7 and not on his way back anyway.

But for purely political reasons Boris should return and feel the flesh in Tottanham.

And why are holidays so precious to these politicians anyway and why do they all go away en masse when Parliament breaks up? Just as well none of them were in charge of BP at the time of the oil spill. Makes you realise that Tony Hayward wasn't so bad as some made out. Still Ed Balls did manage to make the same criticism of Ministers on holiday as he tweeted from his campsite in the Pyranees. He didn't tell us he was there though.

- Stephen C, LONDON, 08/08/2011 13:06
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Politicians need a break like the rest of us. But when there is a huge crisis, politicians should return from wherever they are. DC should have returned from his holidays. Correct me if I am wrong but is this not the third holiday DC has had since becoming PM. As for Boris Johnston, he should have returned on Sunday. Out of touch and too privileges to be able to understand what is going on in Totenham is how I would describe Boris. David Lammy's response was equally derisory and will do nothing ot assuage community fears and the need for justice. Elected politicians have become too cosy in their own worlds and no nothing of how ordinary poor people live. Ignore the poor at your peril. By the way the interventions by Sean Bailey the self styled youth guru are laughable. Thanks God he never became my MP is all I can say. The dismissive patronising tones shown by Kit Malthouse is part of the problem as to why black on black crime has persisited and become a pernicious force, damaging victims and perpetrators.

- Maxy, London, 08/08/2011 13:06
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Get this man back here right now.
Launch an open public enquiry into the mysterious
"deaths in police custody syndrome".Why are there 0
convictions for murder of any police,with 300+ DEAD.

- Jack London, Westminster, UK, 08/08/2011 13:02
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