The London mayoral election campaign fought earlier this year confirmed my view that the defeated candidate Ken Livingstone had better policies and was a better politician than his blond Tory nemesis. Yet, for all his characterisation – largely brought upon himself – as an archetypal Tory toff, Boris Johnson's policy programme contained his versions of some of contemporary Conservatism's more appealing elements: promises to intervene in constructive ways to tackle youth crime and disaffection; an enthusiasm for "localism"; a genuine, if confused, social libertarianism.
Those are the themes which I focus on in this podcast, explored through the experiences and impressions of a wide range of Londoners. Some of my interviewees have been pleasantly surprised by Johnson's administration so far. Others are a little disappointed. Seven months on from his triumph, we are only now starting to see the effects of Johnson's bedrock policies on transport, housing, crime and the economy. But I hope this series of audio journey reveals something of his political philosophy as he has so far applied it to running a vast and infinitely varied city. Listen and enjoy.
