Everybody loves Boris

by Catherine Woods - Friday, 13th June 2008 - - Business comment

It has to be said while there were many fantastic speakers at this week’s CBI Business Summit (organised by Caspian Publishing), the highlight of the day was an address by London’s new mayor Boris Johnson.

He didn’t disappoint. Bojo was his usual bombastic self, full of energy and very entertaining. And didn’t the crowd love ‘im. I spoke to one person who wasn’t a Boris fan beforehand yet seemed to have a little crush on the scruffy one by the time he left the stage.

The focus of Johnson’s speech was, of course, the Olympics and he announced there was to be a consultation with business about what to do with Olympic Park once the Games were over (much to the approval of the crowd).

But he also talked about working with his Conservative colleagues to bring down corporation tax and stop small business levies going up, and how, as mayor, he’s taking a deregulatory approach.

On deregulation, he joked that his role model is the mayor character in the film Jaws. Johnson noted that when Jaws was attacking the people of Amity Island, the people went to the mayor. “They pestered him for more regulation, pestered him to close the beaches. He does nothing. He’s very much my role model insofar as regulation is concerned. Of course, it was a very brave thing,” he said.

“Already I’m, in a small way, trying to do the right thing and take difficult decisions to alleviate the burden for business and tax payers.” Johnson then referred to the decision to scrap biyearly inspections for taxis.

The mayor also touched on transport in the capital and stated that there needs to be a debate about the long-term future of aviation in London. “I know there are many people who are determined to expand Heathrow – I don’t think that’s a long-term solution for this city or country,” he said.

The crowd loved it. Boris’s honeymoon period is in no danger of ending anytime soon.

Picture source

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