The Conservative Party's Boris Johnson on Saturday set out his priorities for office in his first interview as London mayor, but said he may not be able to stop his trademark slip-ups.
The 43-year-old former journalist, known universally by his first name, said there was a change between his gaffe-prone past and the disciplined campaign he ran to oust incumbent Ken Livingstone from City Hall late Friday.
"I was elected as new Boris and I will govern as new Boris, or whatever the phrase is," he told the BBC, paraphrasing a Tony Blair speech.
But he said talk of a difference between the "old Boris", who has offended people in places like Liverpool and Papua New Guinea and London's ethnic communities with his comments on race, and "new Boris" infuriated him.
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| 'Boot me out with gusto if in four years' time we haven't pulled that off' |
"I think what Londoners want is someone who is going to cut the cackle, deal with the problems they face, articulate the issues clearly and simply, deliver taxpayer value, cut crime and get more police out on the streets," he added.
"I will be very proud if in four years' time we can have achieved a significant reduction in crime, particularly in spaces for which the mayor is responsible, on the buses and the Tube. Boot me out with gusto if in four years' time we haven't pulled that off."
But once the political message had been hammered home, Johnson, known for his idiosyncratic turn of phrase, said it was still possible to tell jokes.
"Of course there will be the odd ill-chosen expression or heavens knows what" but once the message was repeated and put across "you can tell jokes a little bit, if you want".- AFP
- This article was originally published on page 13 of Cape Argus on May 04, 2008
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