Will Boris keep his business promises?

The ruffled blonde mop, ramshackle attire, Eton upbringing and hatred of the Kengestion charge grabbed the headlines and Londoners’ votes, but whether it had any influence on his successful election or not, Boris Johnson’s manifesto actually contained several strong pledges to business.

In a document titled ‘Backing London Business’ Boris made the following pledge:

To cut crime costing London businesses £1.4bn each year
Hold biannual summits with representatives from across London’s business communities
Meet the Federation of Small Businesses fortnightly to gauge business opinion
Review the London Development Agency’s enterprise activity to ensure that London’s businesses and communities are getting the support they need
Make it easier for businesses to work with the London 2012 Organising Committee and Olympic Delivery Authority
Make London an attractive place to do business (a little light on detail, this one!)
Encourage planners to use section 106 to secure affordable premises for small businesses
Scrap the £25 Congestion Charge which would cost London’s businesses thousands of pounds a year
Help all businesses avoid congestion charge fines by allowing them to pay by account.
Provide more training for businesses and for a better skilled London workforce
Champion and support London’s 2011 WorldSkills Competition

In his victory speech, Boris insisted he was determined to ‘get straight down to business’. It’ll be interesting to see just how literally he means that…

And no matter how much David Cameron might look to distance himself from any negative publicity, Boris’ tenure provides an early insight into just how far a Conservative government would really go for business.

Over to you, Boris.