The Olympics will do no harm to Boris Johnson

Note: This article is an exploration of ideas, and will continue to be added to and fully published at a later date.

 

That statement may seem fairly obvious. But if you consider the cynical viewpoint we all adopted in the run up to the games, with the controversies surrounding the security with G4s, and then the empty seats problem just days into the games after all those hours of trying to get just one, a day after the Greatest show on earth, we are all celebrating London and hailing the games as a success.

Johnson, who was re-elected as London Mayor earlier this year has shown that he is capable of handling the biggest event in the World without any major blips, for example an industrial strike (as was threatened) and ensured that everything was done, along with the Government it must be said, to ensure that London 2012 was one of the greatest games ever, but perhaps, without admitting it publicly, Boris will believe this can only strengthen his claim to be a future leader of the Conservative Party and possibly Prime Minister one day?

Mitt Romney, the Republican Presidential candidate in the US has used his time as the President and CEO of the organising committee for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002 as one of the core examples that he can be a strong leader and deliver positive results. Can Boris do the same?

It would be unfair to consider otherwise. The Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, despite being a success, would not represent anywhere near the challenge that running a huge scale operation like what we’ve just witnessed in the East End of London.

But lets not forget, London is the only economy, that despite the tough economic climate across the UK has continued to grow.

Whether that’s down to Boris’ leadership or whether it was mainly LOCOG that ensured the success, in a climate where politicians are attacked for the slightest of mistakes, but ignored the success, to deliver on such a grand scale, Mr Johnson should be proud of what has gone on under his watch with the Olympics, there are signs that London is avoiding the worst of the Euro-crisis and the gloom surrounding the economy.

The popular Mayor, who was asked by an ITV reporter whether he will be the next Prime Minister, flat-lined any rumours by re-iterating that he wanted to see out his 2nd term in City Hall, which concludes a year after the 2015 General Election and then proceeded by asking to a collective Mo-bot.

As always with politics, time will tell, but anyone who is willing to stand up against their Party Leader, on record, and then gets stuck on a zip wire trying to promote Team GB will only increase their own reputation and strengthen their own personal ambitions.

Is Ed Miliband demonstrating strong leadership?

Is Ed Miliband finally demonstrating the type of leadership that could see him become Prime Minister in two years time?

Initially, Miliband, who was elected ahead of his brother David, in 2010, did little to convince voters that Labour were a viable option to the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

However, in his first speech since the local election results last week, Miliband criticised the lack of emphasis on creating jobs in the Queens Speech and this was delivered with what seemed to me, like a new found confidence.

Were the results a vote of confidence in Ed Miliband? Perhaps. But more poignantly the Labour Party is being backed by voters again.

Miliband has always adopted a “families first” philosophy in debates within Parliament and just several weeks after officially going back into Recession, perhaps the Coalition has lost its economic credibility.    

While people are feeling hard pushed in terms of their finances, unless the Coalition can deliver on the ground results, like in 1997, when the Conservatives Economic credibility was being questioned, policies that encourage public spending to generate growth may be appealing.

If Miliband were to stand in a US style presidential campaign, there would still be questions over his leadership qualities, but while the Labour Party as a whole are talking a different game to the Coalition’s cuts programme, people may be willing to back their ideals and subsequently elect Miliband as Prime Minister.

So what next for the Coalition Government? (analysis)

After the disappointing results in the local elections held last week, there has been a growing pressure on both David Cameron and Nick Clegg to highlight traditional policies from their respective parties.

An alternative Queen’s Speech has been made up on the ConservativeHome website, created by Tim Montgomerie, a critic of David Cameron, where as many as 20 Conservative MP’s have suggested ideas that they would consider to be more “Conservative” than the Coalition policies.

Yet, despite this, both the Prime Minister David Cameron and the Chancellor George Osborne have refused to change course on the economy and the coalition agreement made two years ago.

The Queen’s speech tomorrow will set out the Governments legislative programme over the next Parliamentary session and it is likely to be vital to both David Cameron and Nick Clegg as voters, commentators and opposition alike will watch to see how the Government has reacted to fears over tensions within the Coalition and whether or not there will be a change in direction.

Many Conservatives want one of the key Liberal Democrat policies:- Reforming the House of Lords, to be scrapped while the economy is currently in Recession and there are fears over unemployment.

The trouble is for the Coalition, is that one of their key arguments for the cuts they introduced two years ago was to keep interest rates low, and the PM and Chancellor claim, that if they were to change direction, Britain would no longer be assured of these interest rates.

However, with the Economy now officially in Recession again after the First Quarter of 2012, and with it expected to stay there in the Second Quarter, critics argue that the Coalition has got it wrong.

In his 2011 Conservative Conference Speech, David Cameron promised leadership. It is surely now that the Prime Minister has to demonstrate this leadership and convince everyone that the Coalition’s policies are working.

The mandate given to the Coalition Government in 2010 was to sort out the budget deficit and get the economy growing again, and until jobs are created and the economy grows to the extent where voters can visibly see and experience the benefits, it will be extremely difficult for the Coalition to convince voters that the cuts were necessary.