Says Pippa Crerar in her Evening Standard blog today,

“Raised eyebrows at City Hall this week after Boris disappeared off on a family sailing holiday. In his acceptance speech at City Hall, the new Mayor promised to “work flat out” for all Londoners. But here he is, just three weeks into the job, enjoying the sunshine off the coast of Turkey in his patterned swimming trunks.”

Only a few weeks ago, Ms Crerar (who, I am reliably informed, wrote occasionally for The Guardian and The Mirror) complained that Boris Johnson, having promised to be open about the cost of his advisers, took three weeks to publish details.  I recall vaguely that Ken Livingstone took eight years to disclose precisely nothing.  Oh well.

Of course, holidays are for wimps, though I suspect that that is not Ms Crerar’s objection.  Presumably Mayor Livingstone was entitled to a holiday because he did not promise to work “flat out” or at all (though being a “man of the people” he would never have taken one on a boat and certainly not abroad).

According to the Mayor’s spokesman,

“It’s half term this week, he's got four children and he’s been on the road campaigning since last autumn.”

Retorts Ms Crerar,

“But will this defence persuade those who are concerned that while Boris worked flat out to get elected, he might not do the same for the people of London?”

Well no, it won’t persuade anyone who will never have anything good to say about Mayor Johnson, but for those of us who recognise a real political “misdemeanour” when we see one, it does.