Islington News: Boris Johnson | London Mayor | Traffic Light | Speed Bumps | Catherine West | White, Middle-class Men in Suits | Row | Richard Bunting

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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 20 June 2008

Boris, ‘the bumps-obsessed mayor surrounded by suits’

A THREE-WAY political row erupted in Islington this week after London Mayor Boris Johnson was described as being surrounded by mainly “white, middle-class men in suits with an obsession with traffic light phasing and speed bumps,”.
The criticism was made by Islington Council’s Labour opposition leader Councillor Catherine West of the first meeting of London Councils group (formerly the Association of London Authorities) since Mr Johnson was appointed. It includes the leaders of 14 Tory authorities, eight Labour councils and three Lib Dem councils – and is all white and all male with the exception of the leader of Tower Hamlets, who is Asian and a woman.
Cllr West was not allowed to take part as she is not a council leader. She said: “I wanted a discussion on child poverty and affordable housing in Islington, but instead Cllr Kempton [Islington Lib Dem council leader] wanted to know about speed bumps. That really got Boris going. He replied that where he lived in Holloway they protruded out like ziggurats [pyramids].”
Richard Bunting, deputy chairman of Islington Conservatives, has defended the mayor. “Boris has plenty of women to advise him, including former Labour sports supremo Kate Hoey,” he said. “His crime adviser is from the black community.”
Cllr James Kempton said: “I asked the mayor, knowing his aversion to bumps, what other solutions he had for slowing down traffic on the borough’s streets.” Mr Johnson replied that he was talking with Transport for London about the issue but that whatever was planned there would be no more speed bumps.