Are the Conservatives toxic?

[Gromit]

Boris Johnson is desperately trying to convince voters he is not like Cameron and Co. Why would he try to distance himself from the Conservatives. Is being a Tory toxic?

http://www.telegraph....-from-the-Tories.html

[Gromit]

Davethedog

Bendy buses are in use all over the UK as well as other European Capitals. Everywhere else they operate fine. Statistically, they were no more dangerous than any other type of bus.

http://fullfact.org/b...transport_safety-3182

[TheNovice]

Gromit - you quote (or rather Merton's local paper does) what the labour party says (candidate, let me remind you, Livingstone - who they don't even back entirely)...read Boris's response...I know who I believe!!

Tackling Crime in the Capital <br/> In 2008 it was my first priority to make London safer. I promised to crackdown on crime and over the past three years I have increased the number of police on the streets pushing crime down by 10.8%. But there is never time for complacency - no-one should be made to suffer from crime, the fear of crime or anti-social behaviour and it is my duty to bear down on these scourges

http://www.backboris2012.com/achievements

Davethedog - I think most Londoners have at least one gripe against Livingstone. Comes to something when even your own party won't fully back you.

[TheNovice]

Gromit - bendy buses were awful and very dangerous in London. They were hated by all except the fare dodgers!!! Ask cyclists/pedestrians/taxi drivers/delivery drivers in London etc if they agree with that report!!!!

[TheNovice]

and why does the police numbers make Boris "a disaster"

[Gromit]

TheNovice

I did not say the Police numbers make Boris a disaster. You mentioned police numbers and falsely said they were rising. I corrected your error and also said that it was the Government's fault and not Boris'.

[TheNovice]

that report on bendy buses - looked at one route and by it's own admission - The huge disparity in the time periods covered, and the fact that this was only one route of many means that this does not offer a hugely informative comparison of the safety of bendy buses and their non-articulated alternatives.. Hardly scientific!!!

[Gromit]

TheNovice.

That was 2008. In 2012 Boris has admitted there are 1700 less Police Officers across London. He claims this is temporary, but the Metropolitan Police Authority figures provided earlier show they are budgeting for an on-going decline.

http://www.metro.co.u...e-offers-is-temporary

[Davethedog]

Being honest I have tried to find something to back my analysis of the bendy, but it all seems political and anecdotal. The largest voice seems to be cyclists who hated it.

There seems to be a consensus, even by those who liked it, that it was unsuitable for London roads and as a London road user I hated them.

There is this

http://www.thisislond...ake-over-6644361.html

And it is apparent that accidents did rise, those in favour seem a little selective in how they look at data.

[ludwig]

I did not say the Police numbers make Boris a disaster

What is it then that has made him a disaster?

[Gromit]

TheNovice

I think you are miss understanding the quote you provided about just looking at one route. That quote was about the TfL report claiming Bendy Buses are more dangerous. Your comment about 'hardly scientific' is about the TfL reportwhich you seem to agree with.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Are the Conservatives toxic? ///

No, but the Conservatives/Liberal Democrats are.

[anotheoldgit]

Re- Articular buses Accident rates compared to Non-Articular, I think the figures speak for themselves.

All Accidents per Million Miles Operated on Articulated Routes
Apr 2006---------------116.34
May 2006--------------163.32
Jun 2006---------------202.12
Jul 2006----------------150.29
Aug 2006---------------121.56
Sep 2006---------------67.61
Oct 2006---------------119.06
Nov 2006---------------196.52
Dec 2006---------------150.95
Jan 2007---------------142.75
Feb 2007---------------160.43
Mar----------------------150.33

All Accidents per Million Miles Operated on non-Articulated Routes
April 2006---------------78.71
May 2006----------------88.75
Jun 2006-----------------90.15
July 2006----------------88.24
Aug 2006----------------75.43
Sept 2006---------------91.32
Oct 2006----------------85.93
Nov 2006----------------97.62
Dec 2006----------------88.62
Jan 2007----------------77.75
Feb 2007----------------91.95
Match 2007-------------90.75

[Gromit]

AOG

Those figures are meaningless as they are comparing different routes.

Bendy Buses were on the busiest routes at the busiest times of demand, so you would expect the accident figures to be higher. Smaller buses are assigned to the quieter routes. A proper comparison would need to compare the two different bus types using the same bit of road at the same times of the day.

The London Bendy Buses have been re-allocated to Brighton and Leicester and there has been no significant rises in accidents there.

[emmie]

JTP, the reason i mentioned about Ken's lovelife, yuck, is because he has been critical in the past about men and women who have loads of kids with different partners, he said much the same about Boris Johnson, so i reckon Ken is a two faced, t*at.

[anotheoldgit]

That maybe Gromit but don't you also think they also compared the increase in the number of accidents on those routes when the 'bendy-busses' took over those routes for the Route-Masters.

/// Opponents of articulated buses claim that they have a poor safety record. The London Evening Standard claimed that they are involved in 75% more collisions than other buses. ///

/// The increased vehicle size means they are more likely to block junctions and cause difficulties for other road users. Press coverage regarding cyclists and motorcyclists has been generally negative due to the reduced viewpoint of the driver and greater likelihood of cyclists to enter blind spots.///

In passing most of these buses finished up in Malta.

[emmie]

Gromit, so you don't live in the capital yet assure us who do live here, Boris is a disaster. Well if he does nothing else he got rid of the awful bendy buses, one of Ken's big mistakes. They were a massive waste of money and one the the biggest transport frauds going. The first week i had to use them, i witnessed more fare dodging, due to the three door no conductor option.
Boris has been a breath of fresh air to a beleaguered capital, and Ken's ideas are dead and buried. He is an old lefty with no notion of the modern world. He made a feck up with finances when he was at the GLC, spend spend, spend, not thinking of the eventual cost to the taxpayer.

[TWR]

Ask any person that is trying their damnedest to live Gromit, talk about the Labour party, this shower of sht has no compassion for anyone except their own breed, meaning the oho ray fkg Henrie's, if the British public had any sense they should show it on Thurs & get rid of these evil basds.

[ABerrant]

// ...more Police //

Figure when Ken left office in 2008 = 31,398

Which of the subsequent and projected figures makes it an untrue statement that during Boris' term there has always been and is still a greater number of police officers, even with decline?

Also, not impossible to link to the archived MPA site...
http://www.mpa.gov.uk...nnual-police-numbers/

[emmie]

so there are more..