The Boris/Lewis train wreck - an American perspective

Dave Keating is an American journalist living in London who provides an American perspective on European matters on his blog Gulf Stream Blues.

Today Dave writes an excellent summary of the Boris/Lewis affair describing it as a "train wreck". He is particularly scathing about how Boris dealt with the matter once Channel 4 informed him that they were investigating Lewis:

What followed Channel 4's phone call to Johnson was one of the more embarrassing PR train wrecks I’ve seen unfold. Johnson staged a press conference with Lewis to preempt the story’s broadcast that evening, saying he had full confidence in Lewis and vociferously defending him. But one only had to watch Johnson’s face during the following question-and-answer session video below) to see the mayor was already realizing he had made a horrible mistake. As Lewis fielded questions, he started giving contradictory statements, first insisting he wasn’t aware that he had been disrobed and then saying something different.

Dave Keating makes an interesting observation about the timing of incoming Mayoral administrations which might have prevented Boris' frenzied hiring of Deputy Mayors in the few days after his election:

The position of mayor is essentially an American system that was shoehorned into British politics in 2000, but in some aspects they seem to have not grasped it properly. An American-style complete change in administration takes time to work out. That’s why the US has its elections in early November, and the winner doesn’t take office until January. That gives them several months to put together an administration and ensure an orderly transition. Here, Johnson took office just days after the election, and had to hurriedly select administration professionals and advisors without proper background checks.