Boris the bankers’ mayor

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

An analysis of Boris Johnson’s diary has revealed that the Tory mayor has had over 80 meetings with bankers and the financial services industry in the 35 months since he took office, but has held only five press conferences. That means that whilst Boris is meeting a banker every two weeks on average, he only holds a press conference once every seven months. Even public meetings happen less than once every two months, which means that Johnson is more than five times more likely to meet with a banker than he is to hold a public meeting.

There is one thing that Boris loves more than a meeting with a banker though – and that’s a photo opportunity, of which he has managed nearly one per week since he became mayor.

According to the Mayor’s official diary, between May 2008 and March 2011, Boris Johnson has held:

· 86 meetings with bankers and the financial services industry
· 48 meetings with the Metropolitan Police
· 124 photo opportunities
· 64 meetings with government ministers
· 15 public meetings with Londoners
· 5 press conferences

It has already been suggested that Johnson prefers to leave the day to day decisions to someone else (namely his right wing deputy mayor), yet that’s not so that he can spend time with ordinary Londoners or informing them of his work through the press. Even though he stepped down as chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority less than four months ago, Johnson has still managed to have almost twice as many meetings with bankers as he has with the police force.

Speaking last night Labour MP Steve Pound MP,

“It’s clear from Boris Johnson’s official public diary that he is a Mayor for the Square Mile, not a Mayor for London. Londoners will find it astonishing that he has held more meetings with bankers and financial institutions than with the public, the police or the government.”

“He is paid to keep London safe, keep our buses, trains and underground running and stand up for London, but he seems more interested in hobnobbing with the rich and powerful. Maybe that’s why he’s spent so much time calling for lower taxes for the very richest while putting up bus, tube and rail fares for millions of Londoners.”