Boris Johnson claims Gordon Brown refused to sit next to him at a memorial service

Update: Gordon Brown's spokesman says this allegation is "categorically untrue"

Comments

[Sally Roberts]

I think you had a lucky escape, Boris!

[Hugh Oxford]

Maybe the man who's wrecked Britain couldn't bear to sit next to a man who's orchestrated two abortions of his lovers' children, and maybe the man who suggested granting citizenship to 400,000 foreign criminals couldn't bear to sit next to the man who's saddled the future with unbearable debt.

[David Lindsay]

How has Boris Johnson the temerity to show his face?

The buses ran normally, the bins were emptied, and the schools stayed open here in County Durham yesterday. But not everywhere, I understand.

Part of the blame must attach to the use of metric measurements. People heard the large number of centimetres and thought of them as much like inches. So they stayed in the house rather than dare venture out.

But there is the bigger story that London is leading the way in the descent of Britain into the status of a Third World country, capable of being paralysed by severe but fully predicted and entirely seasonal weather conditions, having a tiny but very visible class of the eye-poppingly super-rich within easy shooting distance of the most extreme poverty and violence, run by a colourful buffoon and his court of crooks, and so many other ways besides.

Contrary to what is usually assumed in London, Britain rarely follows where what is in many ways a foreign country leads. Culturally, that is remaining, and will remain, the case. It might very well become even more so. But economically, socially and politically we are to have, and we are already having, no such luck.

[Sally Roberts]

"The buses ran normally, the bins were emptied, and the schools stayed open here in County Durham yesterday. But not everywhere, I understand."

I think the difficulties yesterday with London's transport system has a great deal to do with Trade Union domination (by the UNITE Union in respect of the buses and of course Bob Crow's RMT in respect of the tubes) combined with over-reliance on Health & Safety regulations!

Boris has nothing to reproach himself for - he kept Londoners informed and he motivated us to try to get to work if we could but not to take risks and to look out for our elderly and vulnerable neighbours. If there is anything he needs to learn for the future it is that he will have to gear himself up for The Mother of All Battles with the Transport Unions in London - and of course Mr Crow - if he wants to get the stranglehold they have over us released!

[David Lindsay]

"I think the difficulties yesterday with London's transport system has a great deal to do with Trade Union domination (by the UNITE Union in respect of the buses and of course Bob Crow's RMT in respect of the tubes) combined with over-reliance on Health & Safety regulations!"

The unions are at least as strong here, and the Health and Safety regulations are exactly the same.

[Guy]

David - you don`t have the tube in the north. The tube and bus services are crucial to London transportation. Not so in the North where you can drive more (not as built up - more rural).

[Sam R]

Wonder what David Lindsay means by "the large number of centimetres". 30 is approx 1ft. - not a large number but still a lot of snow. Wonder too if the shambolic administration of Red Ken and his chums of the previous eight years has had anything to do with the present problems

[leeds tory]

Guy,

We might be so backward as to not have the Tube but, as you indicate, more rural areas require greater driving distances and have less traffic to work in the gritting where it does happen.

So, engage your soft London brain, follow through your own argument, and then realise we JUST MANAGED BETTER THAN YOU.

[The Bishop Swine]

Well I agree that it simply isn't on for a nation that boasts the invention of the steel snow plough, to be so disabled by a few flakes of the white stuff. Boris along with leaders up and down the land should quickly find enough money for a sensible number of modern snow ploughs, snow blowers and gritters. Such devices once purchased can be mothballed until needed. Bunce Ashbury lmt, the family company responsible for the invention of the steel snow plough, will of course be more than happy to provide for all of your snow clearing needs. Just as they have for many Nations world wide. Bunce Ashbury have even succeeded in selling snow ploughs to saudi arabia, yet it seems we British have not bought enough of these excellent products. No I do not work for the Bunce outfit but I do know a good thing when I see it.

[Andrew S]

"No I do not work for the Bunce outfit but I do know a good thing when I see it." Yeah right.

[Tapestry]

Only if Boris Johnson become Prime Minister will I return to live in Britain. The rest are a bunch of lemons.

[Steve Foley]

I don't know why Boris is so upset. I would not wish Gordon Brown to sit next to me! (a very unlikely situation I have to admit).

I would also say that he cannot be blamed for the failure of the buses to run in London on Monday 2nd Feb. I would blame that on the prevalent "Health and Safety Culture". If that had been in force in 1940/41 during The Blitz many of the acts of bravery performed by the Emergency Services would have been forbidden. Also, Boris has only been Mayor since May 2008 and there is a long lead time on the snow clearing equipment required, it's not like buying a few Ford Transit vans.

[Chris Lambert]

This story is completely untrue - it shows what editing a video can do. When Boris refers to the PM thinking it would be wrong for him (Boris) to be sitting next to 'him', he is refering to David Cameron.

Watch it in full here: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=3349 (skip forward to 01:57:00)

[Sally Roberts]

"I would not wish Gordon Brown to sit next to me!"

Neither would I, Steve! It is rumoured that his personal hygiene is not always what it should be...

[The Bishop Swine]

Andrew S

Yes that's exactly right. Of course if you would like to press my claim by contacting the nice christian people at Bunce Asbury.I am certain they will confirm that I do not work for them.

[Jamie]

Sounds to me like an "inverted pyramid of piffle". After all, Boris Johnson is a proven liar.