Boris falters on ‘wobbly Thursday’

Boris Johnson's mayoral election campaign faltered today. "Whether it turns out to be just a 'Wobbly Thursday' for Boris, or a watershed moment will depend on how much his enemies are able to make of it," a campaign observer told The First Post.

Johnson was taking part in a mayoral debate on the BBC Asian network radio station, during which he was asked about the phrase 'flag-waving piccaninnies' which he'd made use of in a 2002 Daily Telegraph article. Johnson said: "Piccaninny is an old-fashioned term for black child and yes I did use it and it is offensive and I've repeatedly apologised for it."

Johnson then cited his Turkish heritage and told the debate's host: "You can't out-ethnic me." Also, asked who his favourite Bhangra artist was, he said he couldn’t remember, but added: “My children are quarter Indian – so put that in your pipe and smoke it.”

The debate came on the same day that Johnson had to “clarify” his position on the London smoking ban. On Wednesday, in an online Q&A organised by the Sun newspaper, he suggested that individual London boroughs should be able to overturn the smoking ban. “What is the point of having local democracy if we don't leave decisions like this to a local level?” asked Boris. "If I had my way, we would have an online referendum in London about whether to give boroughs back the power to give discretion over smoking to pubs and clubs."

Ken Livingstone’s office leapt on the proposal, issuing a statement that called Boris “hopelessly out of touch” and stating: "The smoking ban has been hugely successful and is very popular with Londoners.” Livingstone also pointed out that Boris had listed in the MPs’ Register of Interests a fee of between £5,000 and £10,000 paid by the Tobacco Association for a speech he gave on June 20, 2007.

Today, Boris issued his “clarification,” saying that he had been expressing his personal view about smoking and democracy. “Personally. I do not like smoking and believe that pubs and clubs are better places since the ban came in.”