Welcome wanderers

Hello. My name is Sam, I am a 22 year old drama graduate of Hull University, about to start an NCTJ postgrad course in newspaper journalism. I have a music blog over at www.meeting-in-the-aisle.blogspot.com, and I have created this blog to post my articles and pieces of 'serious' writing.

Here is my first offering, an article I wrote today on Boris Johnson's first speech in his campaign to be Mayor of London. Enjoy and feel free to respond.

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Boris Johnson issued a rallying war-cry to Londoners in the fight against crime today. The Conservative candidate for London Mayor urged the public to take a vigilante stance against thugs and petty criminals in a typically idiosyncratic speech.

Mr. Johnson’s flair for a memorable sound bite was in evidence as he referred to buses as “glorified getaway cars for thieves and vandals”, insisting that he would be “wholeheartedly on the side of the active citizen” and would “focus more on getting the job done”. However, for all his media-savvy poses and promises, Mr Johnson offered little in the way of specific solutions. He identified that crime, housing and transport are the main issues which need addressing in the capital, but his analysis of the congestion charge was that it simply “isn’t working”.

The former editor of The Spectator added that he senses “a sense of resignation” in Londoners, a judgment which may be sailing a little too close to his ill-judged comments on other cities. Just ask the people of Portsmouth, which he described earlier this year as "one of the most depressed towns in Southern England, a place that is arguably too full of drugs, obesity, underachievement and Labour MPs".

Although public opinion of Mr Johnson seems to be split at this stage, there is an increasing feeling that his clown-like image may betray a shallow knowledge of the real problems at the heart of London. This speech contained a handful of flippant comments, which may both worry and hearten his rival Ken Livingstone in equal measure. Mr Johnson marvelled at the improvements to the city over the past 20 years, citing the availability of mango juice at his local newsagent and the creation of Frappuccinos, the cold coffee drink sold by Starbucks. Light-hearted irony, or simple buffoonery?

One of the most startling aspects of Mr Johnson’s speech was his call for members of the public to be more willing to intervene when they see youngsters making trouble. After the recent high-profile death of Gary Newlove in Warrington, who was attacked after confronting a gang of youths who damaged his car, this is a controversial stance from Mr Johnson. Urging the public to “take a risk” and tackle a thug may not be the most diplomatic approach, but we have come to expect nothing less from this colourful character.