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So anyway. Lefties who thought Boris Johnson getting elected London Mayor was nowt much to worry about, how’s things working out for you?

BORIS Johnson was accused of “betrayal” today as it was revealed he has ditched plans for three rape crisis centres.

The Mayor was accused of failing women by cancelling the centres he promised in his manifesto — which were supposed to improve greatly the number of rapists brought to justice.

The thing is, the people who believed Johnson’s manifesto had what they thought was a ‘legitimate expectation’ of him carrying it through. However, just because his manifesto led one to form that ‘legitimate expectation’ doesn’t mean he has any obligation whatsoever to fulfil it. A manifesto doesn’t imply a promise, relationship or anything else between the writer and the reader. It’s merely a list of vague aspirations.

That’s what you choose between at election time. Lists of aspirations. That’s the extent to which you participate in the political process at elections. In this case it’s rape victims that Johnson’s failed. He’s picked a good target as one imagines most women who’ve been raped will have a lot of other things to worry about than where the Tory mayor of London left his integrity.

There are legal precedents after all. It’s called the ‘I can be a blatant liar in a manifesto and get away with it‘ defence. Johnson could have promised literally anything in his manifesto and if you believed him and he later ‘betrayed’ you, you only have yourself to blame. Buyer beware, love.

Manifestos’ promises are worth less than then paper their printed on, if you didn’t know it already. They can say what they like. It’s a gamble – you pick one and hope for the best. Remember that when the general election is announced. The online version of Boris Johnson’s manifesto has already been deleted for the avoidance of any cross-referencing of ‘promises’ with reality.

(Via the Tory Troll blog and Twitter.)

Update: Says it all:

“Quite simply, we believe that it is more important to fund Rape Crisis Centres than press officers.”

Yet when Boris came into power he alloted over half a million pounds to his team of campaign members, spinners and public relations bods.

Within months he had cut £511,000 from his rape crisis budget.