please empty your brain below
Incoming "I don't come to diamond geezer for politics and I am incensed by your criticism of Boris Johnson in the last line" commenters in 5...4...3...

Ian | 30.10.20 - 7:33 a.m. | #

Not living in the capital, I wasn't sure who Shaun Bailey was and so clicked on DG's link which went to Shaun's website. I looked around and concluded that he was some crackpot independent candidate. I then looked him up on Wikipedia and was surprised to see that he was the Conservative candidate.

Looking at Shaun's website, it is incredibly difficult to find that he is the Conservative candidate. The only place I have found that info is in the News section where it is text written by media outlets which call him the "Tory Candidate". I suppose he is quite happy for people who would balk at supporting the Conservatives to rally behind him but to try and get such support on the sly seems a dubious practice.

Perhaps more seriously, opening Shaun's website starts a pop-up which asks for donations. At this point there is no indication that you would be donating to the Conservative party. Clicking through from this leads you to the donation page but even then, in order to find that you would be donating to the Conservatives, you have to read the URL or scroll to the very bottom of the page. I kept clicking through and still no obvious indication that you would be donating to the Conservative Party, at least until I reached a stage where I did not want to go any further because that would involve actually inputting credit card or PayPal details.

mushroomcounter | 30.10.20 - 7:33 a.m. | #

If you click Contact then the Data Collection and Use Privacy. The Conservative and Unionist Party is there. But it certainly is front and centre.

Big Al | 30.10.20 - 7:51 a.m. | #

@Big Al: How daft of me not to search there! More seriously, the page you find is probably his get-out clause for any complaints. Unfortunately we seem to have systems in this country which allow effective and calculated deception (whether it be in advertising, politics, etc.) so long as it does not step over the line into full-blown deception.

mushroomcounter | 30.10.20 - 8:08 a.m. | #

Halloween, even dead projects come out of the grave.

But if Grant Shapps seizes control of TfL the project could still be rammed through.

Still Anon | 30.10.20 - 8:18 a.m. | #

There are many things Shaun has done I can blame him for, but compare this with the most significant-blaming the mayor for TFL's finances when it is clear the pandemic has caused the problem is bigger than this project.

Although of course as projects go, it is hardly important right now when they are just trying to keep existing services running.

Jonathan | 30.10.20 - 8:21 a.m. | #

Bailey is the 'Boris to do what Thatcher did and get rid of London control of TfL and London regional government' candidate (the anti-mayor mayoral candidate), therefore it makes perfect sense for him to go round stirring up outer exurban resentment, particularly in places served by TfL but where they don't elect the Mayor as political cover for Boris doing this. Expect to see more of him in areas outside the GLA area served by the Met, the Central and TfL rail.

John Styles | 30.10.20 - 8:34 a.m. | #

I'm not a massive fan of Sadiq, but baffled how the Tories have ended up with someone worse.

Boris may have made mistakes when Mayor, but for him to win 2 Mayoral elections in a Labour leaning city was a major achievement, when the Tories have not even LOOKED like winning the other London Mayor elections

Mikey C | 30.10.20 - 8:49 a.m. | #

Bring back Rory Stewart I say, an independent mayor would make a nice change from an increasingly two party state in England.

TomH | 30.10.20 - 8:59 a.m. | #

Sour grapes as you supported Corbyn and the far left wing militant take over.

Surbitonian | 30.10.20 - 8:59 a.m. | #

At first I interpreted Bailey's words more charitably, and took the threat to Watford station he was referring to, to be one from TfL's finances, i.e. TfL are so poor they're going to start closing stations, especially in the provinces.

But then I actually watched the video, and no, it really is that he's somehow managed to misinterpret everything about the Croxley Link. Or worse, is just lying.

I fear this mayoral election may be a bit of a Hobson's choice situation.

Medford | 30.10.20 - 9:01 a.m. | #

Shaun, in his remaking of the TFL system, fails to mention the execrable Shapps taking away free travel from the elderly and the young - this MUST be a vote winner, as can be shown by checking how well NeoCon are doing in the London opinion polls.

Brian | 30.10.20 - 9:02 a.m. | #

A very good and clear exposition of the facts, DG. Unfortunately beyond this blog, facts no longer seem to matter.

Cau1khead | 30.10.20 - 9:31 a.m. | #

Shaun may be right in his implicit claim that London does better when its mayor is from the same party as the national government. But there are two ways to achieve that, and I prefer the more likely one, of having both setups in the hands of the party preferred by the majority of voters.

Malcolm of Kent | 30.10.20 - 9:33 a.m. | #

I think Shaun was actually nominated to actively try to lose the next mayoral election.

As Yoda might say: The ignorance is high in this one!

Southern Heights (Light Railway) | 30.10.20 - 10:09 a.m. | #

Campaigning for two mutually exclusive outcomes in an area where there are no votes to be had. Is there a vacancy for a campaign manager?

timbo | 30.10.20 - 10:15 a.m. | #

As a 'East Midlander' I have no intention or right to comment on 'London' politics except to suggest the 'Better the Devil you know' might be worth considering before you make your mark ✖ next year

Kevin Too | 30.10.20 - 10:15 a.m. | #

Sigh

E | 30.10.20 - 10:15 a.m. | #

I’ve no idea on your politics (and don’t care) but wanted to comment as it’s a thoughtful and comprehensive breakdown of some real political idiocy by, as stated elsewhere in the comments, someone clearly setup to fail and make himself look like a stooge in the process.

If this is the political comment you want to insert every so often, then keep it up.

Andrew of Kent | 30.10.20 - 10:57 a.m. | #

Welcome to Trumpism writ small.

Gordon | 30.10.20 - 11:01 a.m. | #

Fabulous dissection. Hopefully appealing to the (non) voters of Watford won't do Bailey any good in London.

Your passing observation that the congestion charge extension might have been imposed by the government simply so that a Conservative mayoral candidate could promise to reverse it is gobsmacking but all too believable.

The Conservative party in government and beyond now appears to have no intellectual heft or even political nous but to be powered entirely by a massive sense of entitlement, based on contempt for everyone else and a complacent confidence that they will not be held to account.

Sarah | Homepage | 30.10.20 - 12:26 p.m. | #

Most comments on the Watford Observer's account of the same speech are similarly of the "what a muppet!" variety.
(It's my local station, TBH I don't want the extension as it would double my walk to the new, nearest station, but if it did ever happen it would probably still benefit the town, C***d notwithstanding)

Graham | 30.10.20 - 12:51 p.m. | #

What Sarah (and you) said.

Will | 30.10.20 - 12:55 p.m. | #

Even though I am a typical centre right Tory, I am slightly bemused that Shaun Bailey is our London mayoral candidate. There was a rumour a while ago that they were trying to get Sajid Javid in instead and he would have made a far better candidate. It is difficult to find any redeeming features about Mr Bailey apart from his life story. But as a mayoral candidate, he is not compelling, unfortunately.

Will B | 30.10.20 - 1:53 p.m. | #

I think John Bull's description of him as "a legitimate idiot" is spot on.

Tetramesh | Homepage | 30.10.20 - 3:19 p.m. | #

Oooh that last line is wonderfully spicy. You've earned your diamonds today, 'geezer'!

Ryan | 30.10.20 - 8:22 p.m. | #

Bring back kittens, bus stops and City walkabouts. Everybody I speak to knows that in May we will be in the third lockdown, and there will be no London Mayoral election.

scrumpy | 30.10.20 - 9:33 p.m. | #

Poor Shaun has received plenty of comments to his Twitter outburst. I particularly enjoyed the sketch by the builders, Harry and Paul.

Petras409 | 30.10.20 - 10:46 p.m. | #

I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative - that doesn’t change that Shaun Bailey is not a very good candidate unfortunately, as amply demonstrated with this cock-up. Still better than the feckless Khan though, so I know where my vote will be going.

barbicanman | 30.10.20 - 11:01 p.m. | #

Regardless of political opinions, this is a great, great take down.

GreenKitten | 31.10.20 - 9:53 a.m. | #

As a Hammersmith resident I've been following the career of the hapless Bailey since 2010 when he was parachuted in by Cameron and lost what should have been a winnable seat by 3,500 votes !

He's never actually been elected to anything in his own right. He got his current List seat on the London Assembly because the Conservatives lost the Merton and Wandsworth constituency, so qualified for an extra Top Up seat.

Why select a proven "loser" as candidate ?

A | 01.11.20 - 7:36 p.m. | #

Bailey is a total arse. Dangerous and ignorant. Is the Mayoral candidacy something the give to people that are too noisy and ambitious to ignore but whom you want to keep out of the House? Once upon a time Boris was the embarrassing relative that was given a distraction job to do.

Uncle Audrey | 07.11.20 - 7:33 p.m. | #











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