News for all Blightys

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Boris Johnson takes Mayorship.

In related news, temperatures in Hell have just hit 0 degrees Kelvin.

To our American cousins, it's like Bill Cosby becoming a Senator of Philadelphia.

 

[Kayevcee]

Any Londoners reading the Escapist are perfectly welcome up here in Glasgow.

-Nick

 

[Cousin_IT]

Hartlepool still take the biscuit for electing their football team mascot as mayor imo. Though I get the feeling most Londoners will come of this saying "well I only voted for him coz I thought no one else would"

 

[Cousin_IT]

I wonder how many voted for Johnson on the moronic assumption that their vote only counted towards scoring a blow against Brown

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

he wants to bring back smoking in pubs

Go Boris!!!

I wonder how many voted for Johnson on the moronic assumption that their vote only counted towards scoring a blow against Brown

I think this clip [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iWIUp19bBoA&feature=related] was the one that secured him the post.

 

[Meado]

Ugh, words can't describe how disappointed in Londoners I am right now. BoJo is a complete buffoon, who uses his public-schoolboy comedian act to cover up the fact that his policies are all rubbish. He has insulted everyone from Africans to homosexuals, he wants to bring back smoking in pubs...I could go on. The man is simply a clown, a Tory clown. Ken Livingstone may not have come across as the nicest bloke, but there's no denying he did some great stuff for London.

Boris has insulted people? Livingstone can't really claim the higher ground, can he?: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/feb/12/pressandpublishing.londonpolitics.
And tell me, what are these "great things" that Livingstone has supposedly done for London?

IMHO, People voted for Boris because Livingstone is a smug, self-centered git, and Boris was our only chance to get him out. Of course, we now know that even the LibDems beat Labour in the polls, but we all know their percentage is made up of the people who wanted Livingstone out, but didn't want Boris in.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

He has insulted everyone from Africans to homosexuals, he wants to bring back smoking in pubs

well for the African thing, mega mayor Mel in toronto made a joke about being afraid to go to africa cause he could be tossed in a pot and cooked and eaten, everyone BUT the African community were up in arms, they were like "we found it pretty funny and realize it was a joke"

as for the smoking in pubs, well you got pubs closing down because you cant' smoke in there. all those wankers crying about "there's smoking in there so i won't go there if there's smoking" so they cave to the wankers and the wankers don't show up even tho they banned the smoking they asked for

sad part is that argument is used lots to ban smoking, which is something ppl do when drinking, and when they ban smoking, they find another excuse to not go. same goes for coffee shops, they banned smoking in coffee shops here in canada, most independent ones in canada closed down after that cause no one was going there.

i don't smoke but i don't try to push anti-smoking on ppl, especially in places they like to hang out, such as bars and coffee shops

 

[The Lawn]

As a Welshman I point and laugh.

 

[OneHP]

He has insulted everyone from Africans to homosexuals, he wants to bring back smoking in pubs

well for the African thing, mega mayor Mel in toronto made a joke about being afraid to go to africa cause he could be tossed in a pot and cooked and eaten, everyone BUT the African community were up in arms, they were like "we found it pretty funny and realize it was a joke"

as for the smoking in pubs, well you got pubs closing down because you cant' smoke in there. all those wankers crying about "there's smoking in there so i won't go there if there's smoking" so they cave to the wankers and the wankers don't show up even tho they banned the smoking they asked for

sad part is that argument is used lots to ban smoking, which is something ppl do when drinking, and when they ban smoking, they find another excuse to not go. same goes for coffee shops, they banned smoking in coffee shops here in canada, most independent ones in canada closed down after that cause no one was going there.

i don't smoke but i don't try to push anti-smoking on ppl, especially in places they like to hang out, such as bars and coffee shops

It is however nice to wake up in the morning after going out the night before, and not smelling like an ashtray. Also there is the obvious health benefit from reduced passive smoking.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

It is however nice to wake up in the morning after going out the night before, and not smelling like an ashtray. Also there is the obvious health benefit from reduced passive smoking.

well see that's the thing, you don't come back reeking of smoke, i never have in the many years i've gone to bars before and after the smoking ban. as for the "health" benefits that's total bs really. you breath in more toxins and crap walking down the street than from some second hand smoke

ppl complain about smokers and blah blah, when they remove the smoking, they still don't show up so now instead of losing 3 ppl who complain about the smoking they lose their business. it's not a good thing in that case, you're actually causing way more harm than good. if the majority of your business is done with ppl who smoke, why should you cater the minority?

 

[AngryMan]

I get the impression that Boris Johnson is a fair sight more intelligent than he lets on.

Personally, I reckon the man rules, and if I were a Londoner, I'd have voted for him too. My entire political stance was formed by deciding which panelists on "Have I Got News For You" I liked the most, hence why I vote Lib Dem.










No, I am NOT being serious...

 

[TomNook]

Could someone explain the major parties in Parliament, I'm afraid I'm just an ignorant American.

 

[nightfish]

Could someone explain the major parties in Parliament, I'm afraid I'm just an ignorant American.

Well theres three - Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The rest are too small to challenge them.

Labour is the party thats been in for over a decade; Blair etc while the Conservatives are the main opposition who have been gaining ground over the years as resentment towards Labour has increased.

 

[lightbulbthief]

you know his full name is Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson thats how much of a .... I'm not too sure how much I'm allowed to say but as a Humanitarian i don't like him

 

[Fire Daemon]

Boris Johnson takes Mayorship.

The Bastard! Who is Boris Johnson?

 

[nightfish]

Conservatives- the current Opposition party. Whenever Labour comes up with a new policy, the Tories (as they are called) like to shout and moan about how shit said policy is, then offer up their own one which is just as rubbish, if not more so. They're also responsible for Margaret Thatcher, one of the worst prime ministers in UK history.

Saying that they've gained loads in the local elections and I don't think its the 'I hate Labour' idea. They've really tried to turned themselves round. As for 'Maggie', she wasn't that bad. The country at the time needed a change (ironically after Labour balled it up) and sometimes change is unpopular (To everyone outside the UK - English people hate change). The unions had far too much power and they needed to be curbed. In addition she was also quite strong during the Falklands conflict.

Liberal Democrats- no-one knows what they stand for. They excel in being forgettable. People who've lost faith in Labour but who can't bring themselves to vote Conservative tend to vote for them. I may be among them at the next election.

I voted LD last time simply because I admired Charles Kennedy. Thought he was a great alternative to the two main parties and it showed. The LD were successful under his reign and I actually thought that under him the LD could break the two party system thats been here for decades. However his party stabbed him in the back and acted utterly pathetic so they lost my vote.

 

[nightfish]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on 'Maggie' hehe - she's such a polarising subject tbh.

Alcoholic is a relative term really. So he liked a drink - don't most of us? I don't think he drunk more than what most of the UK population drink every week.

As far as i'm concerned when they got rid of him, the LD went from being a potential government contender to a party forever remaining in political obscurity.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

I work in a pub, and I actually like the fact that

a) I'm not increasing my chances of getting cancer every day.

b) The pub now actually has a friendly atmosphere when you walk in, rather than the smoky haze it used to.

If you want to smoke, fine. I don't see, however, why I should have to breathe in your fumes as well. You can call me a 'wanker' for that, but working in a pub nearly every day, I do place some value on my lungs. This isn't the PC Brigade condemning smokers as immoral bastards. This is me not wanting to get lung cancer.

thing is you have to breath it in cause that's the job you chose and the profession you chose

if i decide to work in a factory, i don't like all the noise so should they now install millions of dollars worth of sound proofing to protect my hearing? don't think so

And I call BS on the pubs closing thing. None of the pubs where I live (and believe me, there are hundreds of pubs out here) have closed due to the smoking ban. One in my village closed because the landlord harrassed a member of staff, but that's another issue entirely.

Current studies show that pubs, restaurants and cafes are actually doing better trade under the ban. Cos, you know, people can take their kids into them and have a family meal, and stuff like that.

now as for the business thing, you have to wait to see how long it lasts, initially you can get a boost but it will soon die out, after the dust settles if you will, then see how well the business does. cause there is a novelty to it right now and it will wear out

i know a few ppl who cried how much they hated smoking in bars and said "oh we'd go if they banned smoking" well they banned smoking here, now those ppl have a new excuse not to go

 

[Kukakkau]

i dont know/care about politics especially the english's (go scotland the worst devolped country ever) from what ive seen of boris hes just a spaz who likes sport. saw a thing on have i got news for you doing a publicity stunt by scoring a basket or something, he failed like 10 times. now ive seen fat people who cant throw do better
also i agree with the smoking ban since i dont get the appeal of inhaling smoke. does nobody who smokes go "hmmm im breathing in burnt crap...". and if you do smoke fair enough your choice but dont make others have to suffer from it. im looking at you people who blow smoke in other peoples faces to be "cool"

 

[Cousin_IT]

I personally prefer the bars/pubs/resturaunts I go to now no1 smokes in them. But smoking was never a reason I didnt frequent an establishment. I dont carea about the health issue part of it I just think cigarette smoke smells horrible & one cigarette can make the entire dining area/bar etc stink for ages (if lots of people were smoking I would put up with it but if no1 was smoking then one person came in & start id ask them to stop).

One negative aspect of the smoking ban. Now no1 smokes at gigs the places stink of farts by the end of the night :-/

Boris is an entertaining chap & to his credit he brought some colour into the Commons. Hes not stupid either, but now he is actually in a position of "power" its gonna take more than schoolboy mannerisms to get him through. Especially since hes used the usual Conservative ploy of saying "lower taxes higher spending" pretty heavily to get elected