Boris johnson

This morning Jo Johnson gave a speech in which he outlined his recommendations for the way in which universities grade students. The new science and universities minister suggested that they rethink the current honours system and instead have a 'dual running' with regards degree classifications and grade point averages. If his idea does become a reality and there is less of a focus on degree classifications, Mr S suspects it will be music to the ears of Jo's siblings, Boris and Rachel. Jo was the only one of the three to achieve a first class degree from Oxford, an achievement which was reportedly a cause of envy for Boris, who along with his sister Rachel, only managed to achieve a 2.

After anti-austerity protesters turned on Russell Brand for endorsing Labour at a protest on Saturday, it was only a matter of time til Ed Miliband faced a similar backlash over his party's defeat. Alas for Miliband, his takes musical form. Sleaford Mods - the working class mod band - have attacked the former Labour leader in their new album, with the song In Quiet Streets: 'Miliband got hit with the ugly stick, not that it matters. The chirping c--t obviously wants the country in tatters' Boris Johnson is also in their firing line with the song Rupert Trousers inspired by his speech at last year’s party conference, where he used a brick to demonstrate his plan to build more homes.

Last night Boris Johnson took part in his final State of London debate with LBC host Nick Ferrari, before he finishes in his role as Mayor of London and focuses on work as an MP. Mr S can't see him forgetting this debate anytime soon, however, after the blundering politician had an awkward encounter with a man in a wheelchair. After a number of audience members stood up in City Hall to quiz Johnson on the lack of affordable London housing, Uber's threat to black cab drivers, and the noise pollution that could be caused by airport expansion, Ferrari and Boris became involved in a spat about nuclear weapons. When Boris asked the LBC host what he would do in the same situation, he replied 'I'm not the mayor'.

Rachel Johnson has never been shy of using her Notting Hill neighbours as a source of 'inspiration' for her series of chick-lit Notting Hell books. Her latest book Fresh Hell is no exception. It follows a character rallying against a major basement conversion in a storyline not dissimilar to Johnson's own efforts to oppose her neighbour's plans for such underground developments. However, another plotline in the book has caught Mr S's eye. The novel follows Notting Hill journalist Mimi going on Newsnight - the current affairs programme which Johnson has appeared on in the past - to name and shame her basement digging neighbour.

The Sun has video footage of Boris Johnson telling a Cab driver to ‘f--- off and die’. Normally, this would sound pretty dire for a politician. But having watched the video, which The Sun has put online here, I don’t think this exchange will do Boris that much harm. The Mayor and the Cabbie are both going at it and there’s no sense that Johnson think he’s superior: it is a democratic slagging match. It also rather helps Boris that he is on his bike while it is the Cab driver who is shouting abuse out of a car window. Now, they’ll be those who don’t like people, let alone the Mayor of London, swearing in public and won’t be impressed by Boris using such language.

On Wednesday at Noon, George Osborne will rise to respond for the government at Prime Minister’s Questions. The symbolism of this moment won’t be lost on anyone on the Tory benches. It will be the start of Osborne’s audition for the top job. A few years ago, the idea of Osborne as Prime Minister was—as one of his backers puts it—‘a minority taste’. But now, he continues, ‘it is a mainstream assumption’. What has changed things is the economic recovery and the Tories’ surprise election victory, which has vindicated Osborne’s political strategy. Osborne, I argue in the Mail on Sunday, has also become a better politician in recent years; more comfortable in his own skin and in public.

The Tories are facing a Heathrow problem. With Zac Goldsmith joining the race for the London mayoral nomination today, the idea of the Conservatives supporting a Heathrow expansion is becoming harder to envisage. The final recommendation from Howard Davies' Airport Commission is due this summer and the Tories are expected to put it to a vote in the Commons. But what if Davies proposes an expansion of Heathrow — either in the form of a third runway or the Heathrow Hub? Although the Airport Commission's new review into air quality has been interpreted as a sign that Davies is edging towards Gatwick, Heathrow is still on the cards. If the party leadership is faced with a vote on whether to back Davies and Heathrow, they risk a split with their London mayoral candidates.

Sol Campbell has thrown his hat into the ring to represent the Conservative Party in the 2016 London mayoral election. The official announcement comes after the former England footballer voiced his interest in the position earlier this year when he was rumoured to be lined up as a parliamentary candidate for Kensington. This means the Tories now have three candidates who have announced they will stand to be the party's candidate for Mayor of London, with Ivan Massow Stephen Greenhalgh already having declared. While both Massow and Campbell lack a background in politics, it is expected that more candidates will announce in the coming weeks ahead of the Conservative Way Forward hustings taking place next month.

Given that Zac Goldsmith once likened the possibility of himself running for City Hall to 'a suicide mission', it comes as little surprise that not everyone in the Tory camp is ecstatic about the Richmond Park MP's rumoured London mayoral bid. Mr S understands that there are concerns that after Labour increased its control of the capital in the general election, the Old Etonian, who is currently the odds-on favourite to be the Conservative candidate, may be viewed as too posh to appeal to the more diverse London boroughs. As a result, Steerpike hears that there is growing support in the Conservative camp for Syed Kamall to go for the top job.

George Galloway’s announcement on Twitter this afternoon that he is standing for London Mayor hasn’t surprised many, given he suggested he would do so before he even lost his seat as Respect MP for Bradford West. But it is still significant because it means that there will now be a fierce left-wing force splitting the Labour vote in London, even though the party does have an impressive line-up of big names bidding for the candidacy. One thing is clear: Galloway won’t make the campaign any more boring. He is a magnificent orator, and easily recognisable, too, which helps in any contest, but especially in a London fight that follows Boris Johnson’s eight-year tenure.

Boris has finally spoken. Intervening on his Tory colleague Cheryl Gillan, who was complaining about a lack of funding for rural public services and transport, the new MP for Uxbridge said 'Will she not agree that in fact her constituents get a superb service from Transport for London?' He thanked the government for its continued investment in London transport. Boris will continue to work as Mayor and focus on these duties. But it will be interesting to see what non-London interventions he makes before stepping down in 2016.

With Ivan Massow currently vying to be the next Mayor of London, the businessman released a campaign video this week explaining who he is and why he is running. In the video, he claimed that he was an unlikely candidate for mayor given that he is gay, dyslexic and an ex-alcoholic. While he's putting it all out there, Mr S thinks it might be worth mentioning that Massow also boasts an impressive collection of erotic art. Joan Collins recently mentioned it when recounting to The Spectator a meal she attended at Massow's home to celebrate her Damehood: 'That evening our future mayoral hopeful Ivan Massow threw a grand kitchen supper in his house where, amongst others, Tracey Emin, Alison Jackson and Tom Hollander enjoyed Ivan’s plethora of erotic art.