BoJo backpedals on Twitter hijack in mayoral glory bid
Boris Johnson came under fire yesterday after his minions changed the name of the official Mayor of London Twitter account – which has around 250,000 followers – to promote his campaign to win another term at City Hall. However, BoJo was forced into an embarrassing U-turn on what was the first day of his bid to be re-elected by …
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Public resources
How much does it cost to set up and maintain a Twitter account again?
Oh, fuck all.
Yes, it was a silly thing of Boris's team to do, but hardly squandering public funds.
Try to understand the issue
It costs money because someone has to be paid to monitor it, respond and post information.
As a government post it means that person(s) is paid for by the taxpayer
As an individuals publicity machine to try and get themselves elected/re-elected that person(s) should be paid from the campaign funds
Using taxpayers money to fund an election campaign is fraud. Using an official information channel to promote an individuals campaign takes away the impartiality of that channel and should be classed as electoral fraud.
This is why those that actually understand what the problem is do think it is a big deal.
Re: Try to understand the issue
Boris has claimed that the only person monitoring, responding and posting information on that twitter account was him, making it a personal account.
I think he was trying to do the right thing - he didn't want to be tweeting as @MayorOfLondon whilst doing campaign things, so renamed the account - but he fucked up the execution, it should have been a new account, which he should have announced on the @Mayor account.
Which is what he has now done. Storm in a tea cup, as opposed to what Ken's cronies like Lutfur Rahman get up to.
Re: Try to understand the issue
Its a good thing you posted as AC, as it stops the rest of us from pointing to your user name, and declaring for the whole world to know, that you are a cretin! Obvious Ken astroturfer!
Really ??
Anyone dim/shallow enough to be politically influenced by the name of a Twitter account is almost certainly too dim/shallow to rememeber there is an election even happening on the day concerned.
Are there not any actual issues to talk about ?
Re: Really ??
Except for the 11:30pm twit reminding all citizens to vote tomorrow which only goes out to his supporters/followers.
Re: Really ??
it's a sensitive issue in any democratic system, because if a strict leash isn't kept on things, any incumbent can obviously gain a _huge_ advantage over any challenger by taking advantage of all the facilities available to them as part of the machinery of the government / civil service.
so even very minor occurrences of someone stepping 'over the line' have to be treated as a big deal, in order to make sure the line remains a very clearly drawn and important line. otherwise you end up with it getting chipped away at.
The key thing here is the followers.
You can reasonably assume that the intent of people who followed @MayorOfLondon was to follow the Mayor of London. To then let the incumbent mayor be able to use the same people for marketing during the election is clearly unfair to other candidates.
It's quarter of a million people, so not insignificant in voting terms.
Just for balance..
The original account was @BorisJohnson but was changed to @MayorOfLondon when he won! and last time I checked , you dont actually have to spend money to work a twitter account or have I misssed something?
Maybe people trying to deflect attension from Ken being seen as a massive hypocrite over his tax affairs, and a massive liar?
Re: Just for balance..
No. Let me explaim why....
If Ken Livingston was the Mayor of London and tried to do the same thing, then he would face exactly the same criticism. It's about the principle, not the person.
Re: Just for balance..
Talking about hypocrisy, BoJo apparently has the exact same tax arrangements as Ken. Pot, kettle...
Re: Just for balance..
Except he doesn't. Ken meanwhile...Silveta is not he first company he has set up and used int his way. Plus he has admitted to having Silveta fund his new mayoral bid...in contravention of electoral law . Bad Ken.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewgilligan/100144767/ken-livingstone-will-need-a-better-defence-against-hmrc-investigation-than-this/
Note to Ken. Mwahahahah
Re: Just for balance..
Obviously you are related to the first AC, Boris, stated on Record he has never set up a company to channel his income, and has always paid normal income tax. Its lucky you are AC or he could sue your ass for libel!
Re: Just for balance..
Sue his ass? Is BoJo's donkey loaded then?
Go for it!
I think you need to check the @mayoroflondon twitter account
The difference is
'Livingstone's campaign told the Guardian: "It stinks of the abuse of public resources for the Conservative party to appropriate the official social media of the mayor."'
Unlike avoiding taxes which, of course, is very mayor-like.
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