‘Boris should not be allowed two jobs’
Independent election rival says being mayor and MP poses conflicts of interest
ACTIVISTS have written to the courts and the government arguing that Boris Johnson should not be allowed to remain both London Mayor and MP for Uxbridge & South Ruislip.
Michael Doherty, who stood against Mr Johnson as an independent candidate in the general election, has submitted a petition to the Privy Council Office outlining his case.
Among many other points made in his lengthy submission, Mr Doherty argues that Mr Johnson’s mayoral powers to make policy decisions on matters such as housing, policing and transport pose a conflict of interests with his duties as an MP.
A Privy Council spokesman said the office was currently taking advice and would respond to the petition in due course.
Before the election, petitioners said that were Mr Johnson to be elected they would go to the High Court to argue a similar case – that Mr Johnson’s role as head of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) prevents himhi f from l legallyll b beingi ablebl Magistrates’M it t ’ to serve as an MP. confirmed.
They argue that heading In her submission, Ms MOPAC is essentially the Moosun had argued same as being a Police and primarily that Mr Johnson Crime Commissioner could not legally stand for (PCC), and regulations election as an MP because, prevent PCCs from as London Mayor, she simultaneously being MPs. claimed, he was already a
However, the Electoral civil servant and a member Commission has rejected of the legislature. this argument, saying the The Greater London two roles are different in Authority (GLA) law. monitoring officer, Ed
Sabrina Moosun, who Williams, had said in a also ran against Mr letter to Ms Moosun’s Johnson in the election, but solicitor that Mr Johnson as a candidate for the falls into neither category, Communities United Party, filed an application for a court summons against him ahead of May 7, accusing him of electoral fraud.
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Court dismissing her case as having ‘ no foundation in law’.
Mr Johnson told the Gazette: “The law is very clear on this, but obviously if they want to pursue it, they must. But there’s no precedent and there’s no legal obstacle, so I think let them get on with it.”
A spokesman for Mr Johnson added: “As the independent GLA monitoring officer made clear in his response to Ms Moosun’s solicitor back in April, there is no validity in her complaint. There is precedent for a mayor being an MP – [Ken] Livingstone did that.
“In addition, the Mayor of London is not a civil servant, the GLA is not a legislature, the London Assembly is not a legislature and the mayor is not a member of the Assembly.”