I don't think I've ever seen a select committee room so packed as it was this morning when London mayor Boris Johnson answered questions about 21st century policing. Hordes of people were piling in through the door at the back of the crowded room to stand and listen even 15 minutes after the start of the meeting. The press bench was full with journalists, dictaphones and notebooks at the ready.
For this was just as much about listening to how the London mayor plans to deal with knife crime as it was to see how the floppy-haired politician would deal with MPs' questions under pressure. Would he shoot or be fired at? Would he cower under pressure or deliver sane answers and strategies?
This was after all, Boris - the man who perhaps a year ago if you'd have said he'd be London's mayor nobody would have believed you.
Outside the committee room, queueing to get into Portcullis House where the meeting was taking place, it is clear Boris has reached somewhat celebrity status. As I wait patiently to get past security, a bunch of teenagers were behind me. Boris then rides up on his bike and enters the building through a special door, and I'm not joking, at least two of the kids went 'Ooo there's Boris!' with a squeal of delight in their voice. The same tone as if they'd just seen latest pop act The Ting Tings.
Back inside Boris was doing well at deflecting, and sometimes answering, MPs' questions. He would not be drawn into whether knife crime was more serious a problem than terrorism, for example.
Showing his public schoolboy background remarkably well, when asked if knife crime was really as serious as some papers made out, or whether it was just hyped-up, he said: "This is not the death of Mercutio."
Who was that, asks Labour MP Martin Salter. My education was not as posh as yours, he said.
Boris explains Mercutio was a character in a play by a "well-known English author called William Shakespeare". Romeo and Juliet, of course. And when asked to get back to the point, he insisted on commending the play to the committee. Well that's one way of deflecting the question I suppose, and it provided a bit of humour to an otherwise sombre debate.
All in all he covered topical people issues including: diversity in the Met police force (he vowed to try to get more black and minority ethnic staff into roles as a top priority); extending PCSO powers a little (though he ruled out giving PCSOs the powers of arrest); recruitment strategies (he is no longer divided about whether to poach staff from neighbouring forces) and the Olympics (the Met will be ready for such a challenge).
The meeting was over just as soon as it began when Boris had other things to attend to. You can watch the whole thing at http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=2287&rel=ok
Comments (1)
The MET police poaching Officers from neighbouring forces? Surely that is against the CIPD code of conduct....
Posted by Joe | July 16, 2008 11:47 AM
Posted on July 16, 2008 11:47