Tuesday 6 December 2011

Boris in the Bush today

Mayor of London Boris Johnson was in Shepherd's Bush Library today along with celebrity TV star Peter Andre to launch a literacy volunteer scheme aimed at improving children's levels of reading.

The "Team London - Love Libraries" scheme aims to recruit 2,000 'Library Champions' under a new Team London programme designed to help local communities get even more out of their local library through new services and activities.

£100,000 is being invested to develop the Team London 'Love Libraries' scheme, which will see people recruited over the next six months to help provide a range of library based activities in at least ten borough, including our very own H&F

Pictured above, courtesy of local Top Tory Harry Phibbs, the Mayor was also, clearly, aiming to enhance his W12 credentials following several visits to the Bush by his opponent Ken Livingstone.

Boris then wandered over to the new Bush Theatre to take in the sights and sounds of the new building which was opened following H&F Council's decision to rehome the library in the Westfield Centre. The Theatre, which has won widespread acclaim, is now a regular feature of W12 life, including the opening of its cafe which operates independently of the main Theatre schedule.

Boris then went on a walkabout on Uxbridge Road, provoking the usual celebrity response of people wanting to have photos with the blond one as he chatted to bemused shoppers and business keepers.



Local Conservatives took to the Twitter airwaves to chronicle the Mayor's wanderings and promote the event as a key moment in the pre-election battle that is getting more and more intense as polling day in May 2012 draws near. It's difficult to over state the importance of this election both to our local Council but also to the Government.

A win for Boris would be a maajor confirmation that the Labour Party is still not viewed as a viable opposition at either national or local level while a victory for Ken would signal the reverse -and would also put a stop to some of H&F Council's more controversial development projects locally.

So expect W12 to be a key battleground between now and then, of which today was only the latest example.

8th December UPDATE - you can now see H&F Council's video of the event below - they shamefully don't caption the councillor speaking at the end about Shepherd's Bush library being the "jewel in the crown of Hammersmith & Fulham's libraries" - he is our very own Cllr Greg Smith!

2 comments:

  1. Hope Boris was treated by LBHF to a slap up fried chicken lunch while in the Bush!

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  2. This would be the same Boris whose party are busy slashing library funding around London, would it? Don't imagine he'll be showing his face anywhere near Kensal Green library soon.....

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