It remains to be seen what Boris Johnson will make of his new job. But I think he should be warmly congratulated on the tremendous achievement of unseating Ken Livingstone, something few would have thought possible when he first threw his hat in the ring. Last night, Matthew d'Ancona, editor of The Spectator, gave him some well-earned praise:
It is a pleasure and a privilege to congratulate Boris on his victory - as his successor at the Spectator, his friend and (above all) a Londoner. Be in no doubt: this is a sensational achievement. Ken Livingstone has dominated London politics for a quarter century and presided over a coalition of formidable strength. In 2000, he ran rings around the New Labour machine at its mightiest. To dislodge him is a historic act of giant-killing and a remarkable moment in the capital's political history.
Labour will insist that this is a London story with no national consequence. The opposite, of course, is the case: for the first time since the general election of 1992, the Tory Party has won a major contest. The victorious candidate has captured the imagination of the whole country. His election dramatises and personifies the Conservative revival more vividly than any policy announcement or mini-manifesto could ever do. Tomorrow morning the whole country will be talking about the Boris Effect and wondering what comes next.
So: well done, my friend. You deserved this victory for which you fought and fought and fought against a veteran opponent. The torch has indeed been passed. All the best from your friends at the Spec: enjoy tonight, and then - to work!
Boris was believed to be the "joke candidate", the outsider and the clown. Londoners might have liked him for this, but they would not have elected him. Mayor of London is a serious role, and Boris must focus his considerable talents, not least on the dangers of Islam. In the past, Boris has spread himself a little too thinly. Now there are signs that he has put away childish things and that this job could be the making of him. Interviewed last night by a BBC reporter - the BBC probably supported Livingstone - he refused to provide them with a gaffe, or "Boris blooper" for their pleasure. He demands to be taken seriously, while reserving the right to make jokes once his serious message has got across.
Incidentally, his father Stanley, to whom he bears an uncanny resemblance, said that he knew Boris was serious and determined, first because he gave up drinking for the three-month duration of the campaign, and secondly because he resisted the temptation to make jokes that were crying out to be made. I fully understand this. I would need to want something very badly indeed to go without a drink for three months, but I know that I could do this if I had to. But passing up a joke opportunity is something I could not do, not for all the tea in China. Boris is a better man than I am.
Well done, Boris. Now get your teeth into Islam - you can do it if you want.
