BRITAIN:Boris Johnson paved the way for a colourful and potentially memorable contest for the mayoralty of London yesterday when he confirmed that he was seeking the Conservative Party nomination to challenge Ken Livingstone.
The Tory MP for Henley hit the ground wobbling with a typically chaotic photo-call at City Hall, where he fled a scrum of photographers on his bike, and an article for the London Evening Standard, which was weak on policy but strong on epigrams.
"I have found myself brooding - like all paranoid politicians - on the negative voices, the people who say that the great King Newt is too dug in, that his positions are impregnable, his machine too vast and well-oiled. And having weighed up their warnings, over the past week I say phooey," he wrote.
Mr Johnson is one of more than 40 candidates to apply for the Conservative nomination, but easily the most high-profile.
Steve Norris, twice defeated by Mr Livingstone, said last night he would not stand again. Mr Johnson is likely to be among about 10 candidates interviewed by party figures and one of between two and five candidates to go forward to a primary of London voters.
The results will be announced on September 26th.
Barring an extraordinary run of gaffes - by no means impossible - few in Westminster expected the selection process to deliver anything other than a Johnson victory. If elected as mayor, he will take charge of a £4.7bn (€6.9 billion) budget and 500 staff. His £137,579 (€203,000) salary would be a little over a quarter of the £468,000 (€690,646) he earned last year from his Daily Telegraphcolumn, MP's salary and other media work.
David Cameron has been desperate to attract a big name ever since attempts to get Greg Dyke, the former BBC director general, to run as an independent foundered when the Liberal Democrats refused to back him as well.
Mr Johnson's name, floated from time to time before then, surfaced again a fortnight ago.
Mr Johnson ruled himself in, out and in again within the space of 24 hours and has spent the time since preparing the ground for yesterday's announcement.
He was especially keen to square support from his Henley constituents, for he does not want to give up his seat in case he loses, which, with Mr Livingstone as favourite, is still the most likely outcome.
Mr Johnson resigned as frontbench spokesman for higher education yesterday but he will be hoping Gordon Brown does not pull a surprise election next year, which would force him to choose between London and Henley.
The party has been using Mr Johnson on the campaign trail for some time, especially among students. Mr Cameron has reported that student Conservative associations put their revival down to two words: "Boris Johnson".
The high command believes he has the independent, free-thinking star quality which would draw Londoners to him.
He acknowledged he would be "pilloried for being a toff" but insisted his background, with Muslims, Jews and Christians among his great-grandparents, made him a "one-man melting pot".
However doubts remain about his seriousness and he will now have to put forward a policy programme beyond the generalities offered yesterday.