I’m going to refrain from the left-wing blogosphere’s collective gloat at the recent conviction of Paul Staines (better known as Guido Fawkes) for drink-driving.  I’ll just show you the link, and let you cope from thereonin.

Now excuse me while I roar with laughter as a self-proclaimed libertarian (hah…) is fitted with a tag.

Has the downfall begun already? Today, it emerged that Boris Johnson might not keep his election promise to replace Bendy Buses with a new form of Routemaster. Quoth BoJo’s transport policy director, Kulveer Ranger (interspered by the ES):

Mr Ranger said: “It’s almost a fact to say Londoners are not happy with bendy buses. We want to develop a bus that is safe, reliable and has that extra bit of style and panache.

“The Routemaster was, and indeed still is, an icon and we need something that has the same iconic status.”

But in a departure from Mr Johnson’s policies, Mr Ranger said the new design would not necessarily be ” hopon, hop-off” with a conductor, as on the old Routemasters.

He said: “Whether or not we have a conductor depends on the design of the bus. We want people to be creative. Our brief is very flexible.

“Anything is possible. We’ll set some sort of ball-park figure but we can’t say how much it will cost at this time. Let’s see what comes back.

“The plan is to have them on the roads by the end of his first term but we’re not doing this just for the hell of it. If we find there are initially no suitable bids we will review [the policy].

“A major problem people have is the need to stick to things even if it is clear it is not working - like the 10p tax.”

So; no costings for the neo-Routemasters, possibly no neo-Routemasters and certainly not soon. Headline Manifesto Pledge 1 (of very few) broken. BoJo’s legions of voters in the outer boroughs didn’t expect that, I’m sure.

They should have done. It was patently obvious from the start this was an ill-thought out move. Boris had no idea how much it would cost (”8 million! 8 million!” followed by “100 million! 100 million! Maybe!” followed by “Um….”). He had no plans drawn up for his neo-Routemasters. His only apparent reason he had for the policy was misplaced nostalgia for a contraption almost designed to screw over the disabled. It was an impractical policy, and it was going to have to be scrapped.

As will his commitment to a no-strike deal with the RMT; as will his commitment to miraculously reduce crime rates by 100% without addressing its social causes; as will…

Wait, did he have any more policies?

Oh yes. He wanted to abolish the Londoner. He’s managed that, because various Mail group owned rags around London will publish his Mayoral Agitprop (Outsourcing, perhaps? Pyongyang style freesheets with a hint of Thatcherism…).

Well done Boris.

Boris’ manifesto was based in populism and scare-mongering. He played nostaligia over buses. He portrayed his opponent in overblown caricature; King Newt reigning over the socialist republic of Brickney. He exploited fear of crime without suggesting any real solutions which would treat the root of the problem.

In short, he bullshitted (bullshat?).

Where that populism can be bought for free - as it was in abolishing the Londoner - he’ll do it. Where that populism was based in fluffy rhetoric and disconnection from reality - here, for example - he’ll do what Michael Bloomberg suggests and quietly sweep it under the carpet.

Empty promises will bite politicians in the arse. Expect more manifesto pledges to be broken as Boris realises how many of them simply won’t work. Aides will suggest he drops as many of these policies in his first hundred days, while the press still slurp over him in a sordid media orgy masquerading as a honeymoon period. That won’t help. The few policies which he shouted so much about during his campaign, and people will notice that - if anything, because there were so few, and because he shouted so loud.

If things carry on the way they look to, Boris will be hoist by his own populism in 2012. Great for then. Not so good for the intervening 4 years…

EDIT: Speaking of broken pledges…

Another fine article ruined.

It strikes me as a damn shame that a man who can make such valid points produces articles riddled with minuscule annoyances.

Hmm. You should always take on the best arguments of your opponents, not the worst.

“Hmm” goes in your head, Hari! Not on the page! I’d gladly volunteer to be Johann’s pre-editor if it rid us of these minor irritants.