Status Anxiety: The destiny of Boris Johnson

I’ve spent most of the past few days tramping the streets of Hammersmith, doing whatever I could to get out the vote. Like most Conservative party members in London, I’m nervous that Boris’s strong showing in the polls might lead to complacency. Ken Livingstone may be a weak candidate in many respects, but he’s a formidable machine politician. Every last drop of effort needed to be expended if Boris was to be sure of re-election.

Having said that, I’m cautiously optimistic. Not only will a Boris victory be good news for London and the country — can you imagine the Olympics opening ceremony being presided over by Ken? — it will be good news for my bank balance, too. As I mentioned in these pages last year, I bet Nigella Lawson £15,000 in 2002 that Boris would become leader of the Conservative party within 15 years. His re-election as Mayor will make that considerably more likely.