Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson, former Conservative MP and later Mayor of London.

"A free and open internet is a fundamental tool for both promoting freedom of expression and creating the conditions conducive to investment and stability"

Communications Data Bill

"Over the past year the police have made powerful representations to me of the usefulness of this ability. I must say their arguments have been pretty compelling."

Website blocking

Boris Johnson becomes a victim of crossfire in internet war Mr Johnson was furious: “This is London not Uzbekistan. It is unbelievable that a website can be wiped out [by] some tycoon. We live in a world where internet communication is increasingly vital, and this is a serious erosion of free speech.

External links

• wikipedia: Boris Johnson
• twitter: BorisJohnson

News

2008 - Boris Johnson has resigned from the House of Commons following his election as mayor of London.

2007-06-04 - Boris Johnson's Blog - Confirmation

Author: Boris Johnson MP

Summary: Boris has today officially confirmed that he is to step down as MP for Henley and a by-election will, therefore, be held.

2007-11-22 - Boris Johnson's Blog - Lost Revenue & Customs Data Discs

Author: Boris Johnson MP

Summary: ... In those circumstances, we want to be absolutely certain that our information is treated with respect by the people in government agencies to whom we are obliged to give it. What is so appalling about the present episode is the casualness, the condescending indifference on the part of the state towards the privacy of British people. This is how they treat vital personal information - allowing a junior official to burn it on to several discs, and then losing it in the mail. How dare these people continue to make the case for ID cards? How dare they claim that they can be trusted with any more of our data? The argument is lost, and before the Government wastes £10 billion of our money, it should run up the white flag and withdraw the Bill. I'm sorry, Darling, but it's over.

2007-09-25 - The Register - Downed blogger Murray vows to continue Usmanov attacks

Author: Chris Williams

Summary: Former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray has vowed to carry on making allegations against billionaire Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov, despite attempts to silence him and his supporters. Murray's blog was deleted by its host on Friday after threats from Usmanov's UK legal team. It's expected to reappear in the early hours of tomorrow on an overseas server, and will repeat the charges that drew heavy fire from specialist libel firm Schillings. ... Bloggerheads and craigmurray.co.uk were part of a small stable of sites run by Summerfield. This connection explains the deletion of Tory mayoral hopeful Boris Johnson's site, despite it having no involvement in the Usmanov affair. The action also downed the website of the London Bach Society and an independent record label.

2007-09-24 - The Register - Blogosphere shouts 'I'm Spartacus' in Usmanov-Murray case

Author: Chris Williams

Summary: Political websites have lined up in defence of a former diplomat whose blog was deleted by hosting firm Fasthosts after threats from lawyers acting for billionaire Arsenal investor Alisher Usmanov. Four days after Fasthosts pulled the plug on the website run by former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray it remains offline. Several other political and freedom of speech blogs in the UK and abroad have picked up the gauntlet however, and reposted the article that originally drew the takedown demand. The battle hit the mainstream media spotlight on Friday after the website of Tory London mayoral hopeful Boris Johnson was downed in the crossfire because it was hosted on the same server. At time of writing, it's also still offline.