Welcome Boris Watchers!

Boris Watchers has been set up to scrutinise the new Mayoralty of Boris Johnson.
The blog aims to become a Wiki-style tool for constantly scrutinising the new administration in City Hall.
We sure can't trust the Evening Standard to keep an eye on him!
email me at gusbaker@gmail.com to get the password so you can help Watch BoJo!


Saturday 17 May 2008

The legal woes of Bojo and his Cabinet

As regular readers of BorisWatchers will know, our new Mayor is no stranger to legal problems.
However few would have predicted that with all the Tory advisers money can buy, Boris has still arguably managed to break the law with his appointment of Sir Simon Milton and Kit Malthouse both of whose appointment is seen as a serious conflict of interest.
Milton is prohibited from serving in the Mayor's 12 appointed staff as Councillors are not allowed to take senior positions in regional government while Kit Malthouse's position on the assembly should prevent him taking part in Boris's executive.

From 'The Tory Troll'
By appointing a member of the assembly into the Executive, Boris has therefore interfered with the separation of powers that enables the executive to be effectively held to account.


To try and get around the problems with Milton's status as a Councillor, Boris has exploited a legal loophole and appointed him as a "consultant". While with regards to Malthouse a spokesman for the Mayor said ""This is a grey area and we are trying to come up with new protocols."
Rough translation meaning that City Hall is working on a way to try to get around the law so Boris can ensure the Assembly does not work properly.

The transparency promised is clearly nowhere to be seen.

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