+++ Boris Fires Blair +++
Well, not strictly “fired”, but as close as you could get.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7648664.stm
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has announced his resignation after three years in the job.
He said London mayor Boris Johnson, who took over as chairman of the police authority on Wednesday, had told him he wanted a “change in leadership”.
Sir Ian said that “without the mayor’s backing I do not think I can continue in the job”.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said deputy commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson will take over as acting head of the Met.
Sir Ian has faced criticism over the racism row involving the Met’s most senior Asian officer Tarique Ghaffur.
There have also been questions about his handling of events surrounding the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.
The Brazilian was shot on the London Underground in July 2005 by police marksmen, who had mistaken him for a suicide bomber.
Sir Ian has denied any wrongdoing over an inquiry into the use of public money to pay a close friend to advise him.
UPDATE: Boris told him to go.
Sphere: Related ContentBoris Johnson’s Olympic Speech
Eccentric, witty and insistent that all sport originated in Britain. An excellent encapsulation of the national character. Well done Boris.
Sphere: Related ContentNow It’s Our Turn
Wow. What an Olympics.
My personal highlight was Usain Bolt’s sprinting performances. Absolutely amazing.
Britain has done fantastically well. Best results in over a hundred years and we’ve finished a respectable fourth on the medals table. Those who are dismissing our achievements here should remember that it doesn’t matter how good your kit is or whether or not you’re sitting down or standing up. To win an Olympic medal is a phenomenal achievement.
The ceremonies have been stunning. Beautifully-choreographed, amazing visuals and excellent presentation.
Now, of course, it’s our turn. Hopefully the last two weeks have reminded people why we bid for 2012 in the first place. The naysayers who predict ever-rising costs and an inability to match the Chinese effort are in many ways missing the point. The next Olympics will be very different, but that does not mean that it will not be better. The vibrancy of London, with its long history and strong culture will provide for an Olympic experience unlike any other. Where there is waste and inefficiency we should complain, but we should do so in a manner that sounds a bit less like we want the Olympics to fail.
We have the talent, we have the ability, we have the resources, we have the city. Let’s put them to good use and not only match, but exceed the world’s expectations in 2012.
Sphere: Related ContentThank You
I want to personally thank every left-wing activist who helped Boris into office this morning.
First, I’d like to thank the tireless smear campaigners in Compass and elsewhere for their continued misrepresentations of BoJo. You set expectations so low among some that all Boris had to do was turn up somewhere and smile and immediately his impression among voters would improve. You made him out to be so stupid that when he actually said something intelligent, the contrast was such that it made him appear doubly clever. The contrast between expectation and reality was so great that it probably generated more votes than it lost. Thank you for the inadvertent boost to his image that you gave him.
Thanks for lying so hard. It backfired marvellously when exposed.
Big thanks to every activist who tried to make this a negative campaign. It allowed us to dominate the positive agenda, resulting in the Tories being the only party with a clear and achievable set of policies and the demonstration that Labour is a spent force. We came up with so many policies that both Ken and Brian felt obliged to steal some of them. I would like to congratulate every negative campaigner who got out the Tory vote and turned people off Labour with misrepresentations. They galvanised all those who discovered the extent of the deceit involved, and ensured they endured the elements to get out and vote. Well done.
Thank you for making Boris out to be a clown. Your refusal to take him seriously meant that we had an easier time promoting our agenda. Promoting him as a bumbling charming fool one minute neutralised your claims to his being a demonic Machiavellian schemer the next.
And really big thanks to all those with the eminently mature “fuck Boris” facebook photos. When viewed in the facebook mini-format they were virtually indistinguishable from the “back Boris” photos. This helped us appear to have even more support on facebook.
Finally, thank you to all who promised to leave London if he won, as well as all the other apocalyptic rhetoric. Crying “racist” soon turned to crying wolf (especially when there’s now a real racist in the London Assembly). By decrying Boris as Satan incarnate you made sure that many voters didn’t take you seriously. Thank you for doing the job for us.
So thank you anti-Boris activists everywhere. We couldn’t have done it without your help.
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