Partly inspired by people's thoughts here, I've written a blog-post on
Boris and Peter Hendy/Tim O'Toole:
http://www.johnband.org/blog/2008/05...s-boriss-tent/

Exciting update information for utl readers: yesterday I played crazy
golf with the Times's Westminister correspondent and a corporate
finance bloke from TfL; they both reckon there's no chance in hell
that Boris is going to sack O'Toole, and that it's unlikely he'll sack
Hendy...

John B wrote:
> Partly inspired by people's thoughts here, I've written a blog-post on
> Boris and Peter Hendy/Tim O'Toole:
> [..]
>
> Exciting update information for utl readers: yesterday I played crazy
> golf with the Times's Westminister correspondent and a corporate
> finance bloke from TfL; they both reckon there's no chance in hell
> that Boris is going to sack O'Toole, and that it's unlikely he'll sack
> Hendy...
>
> --

I don't reckon he would either, although to take the sensible option
goes against both what his campaign said (they accused Hendy of being a
Ken crony) and the views of a lot of rabid suburban Tories, as you point
out.

Any idea whom he might get to chair TfL? The previous Chair might not
be to everyone's liking these days...

Who won the golf?

Tom

"Tom Barry" <illia> wrote in message
news:3967
> John B wrote:
>
> I don't reckon he would either, although to take the sensible option goes
> against both what his campaign said (they accused Hendy of being a Ken
> crony) and the views of a lot of rabid suburban Tories, as you point out.
>
> Any idea whom he might get to chair TfL? The previous Chair might not be
> to everyone's liking these days...
>

Am I missing something here. The previous chairman just got voted out. Isn't
Boris the ex officio new chair?

Paul

Paul Scott wrote:
> "Tom Barry" <illia> wrote in message
> news:3967
>
> Am I missing something here. The previous chairman just got voted
> out. Isn't Boris the ex officio new chair?

I think the mayor has the power to appoint a Chair, which is slightly
different. Currently the TfL website doesn't include a Chair in its list of
board members. Dave Wetzel is Deputy Chair, though I can't see him
remaining there for long.

The body that Boris said he would chair is the Metropolitan Police Authority
(MPA). However the MPA website says that the Chair is chosen by the members
themselves, all of whom are eligible. Currently it's Len Duvall, who is, I
think, Labour leader in the Assembly. Of the 23 members, 12 are Assembly
Members, chosen by the Mayor. Presumably he can choose himself as one of the
12, but it's presumptious of him to declare that he will be Chair.

On 6 May, 11:22, Tom Barry <il> wrote:
> > Exciting update information for utl readers: yesterday I played crazy
> > golf with the Times's Westminister correspondent and a corporate
> > finance bloke from TfL; they both reckon there's no chance in hell
> > that Boris is going to sack O'Toole, and that it's unlikely he'll sack
> > Hendy...
>
> Who won the golf?

The Times correspondent; the TfL bloke came last.

Paul Scott wrote:
>...
>
> Am I missing something here. The previous chairman just got voted out. Isn't
> Boris the ex officio new chair?
>
> Paul
>

He can be if he wants to be, but since he's acclimatising to his first
responsible job, chairing the MPA and being MP for Henley I don't think
anyone's expecting him to have the time, hence the need for a new one.
The only name suggested during the campaign (in the Independent, if
memory serves) was Daniel Moylan, which was emphatically denied by the
Boris campaign.

Tom

On Tue, 6 May 2008, Tom Barry wrote:

> Paul Scott wrote:
>
>> Am I missing something here. The previous chairman just got voted out.
>> Isn't Boris the ex officio new chair?
>
> He can be if he wants to be, but since he's acclimatising to his first
> responsible job, chairing the MPA and being MP for Henley I don't think
> anyone's expecting him to have the time,

He's going to stop being MP for Henley, isn't he?

tom

On Tue, 6 May 2008 03:10:37 -0700 (PDT), John B <spam>
wrote:

>Partly inspired by people's thoughts here, I've written a blog-post on
>Boris and Peter Hendy/Tim O'Toole:
>[..]
>
>Exciting update information for utl readers: yesterday I played crazy
>golf with the Times's Westminister correspondent and a corporate
>finance bloke from TfL; they both reckon there's no chance in hell
>that Boris is going to sack O'Toole, and that it's unlikely he'll sack
>Hendy...

Odd - Mr Gilligan says Hendy will be gone by the summer in his Standard
article today. The only reason for delay is that potential replacements
are asking too much money. Gilligan also says that Boris needs a rail
experienced commissioner rather than a bus one - odd given that Mr Hendy
has a large amount of knowledge about all the modes he's responsible
for.

The other rumour I've heard today is that Steve Norris will be
Commissioner - note not Chair of the TfL Board but Commissioner. Still
I'm sure all the rumour will solidify soon enough.

On May 6, 7:49 pm, Paul Corfield <aoo> wrote:
> The other rumour I've heard today is that Steve Norris will be
> Commissioner - note not Chair of the TfL Board but Commissioner. Still
> I'm sure all the rumour will solidify soon enough.

Fucking hell. New Zealand here I come...