Boris Johnson gave a lecture at St James’s last night on behalf of policy advisory group the Legatum Institute, specialists in promoting economic prosperity. The topic of the keynote? Why modern-day London is like ancient Athens — bar the slavery, the subjugation of women and the child mortality rates, naturally.
After likening the building of the Parthenon to the building of the Olympic Park, the Mayor — who gesticulated wildly throughout, a glass of red sloshing around in his hand — turned to the key reason behind Athens’s success: “Investment in transport infrastructure,” he said boldly, noting the building of an additional harbour, rather than expanding the city’s existing ones, as a major boon to the city’s prosperity.
“I suppose I don’t need to spell out the lesson we can learn there,” he quipped, referring to his own unflinching support for “Boris Island”, despite the plans being rejected by the Airports Commission this week. The crowd, including some dyed-in-the-wool Tories, lapped up Boris’s ability to spot an historic parallel. Less obvious, perhaps, is his ability to spot a white elephant.
