Third official quits mayor's team

by Dave Keating | August 19, 2008 at 03:07 am

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Yet another of new London mayor's Boris Johnson's team has resigned, just a few months after embarassing revelations surfaced about Johnson's advisor Ray Lewis. The reason given for the resignation is that the position should not exist at all. It may be that people are now afraid to take positions in the London mayor's office for fear of the intense media scrutiny of their past that will result.

Boris Johnson's First Deputy Mayor has quit - just over a month after taking up the post.

Tim Parker, 52, stood down after being told he would not be handed the role of running Transport for London (TfL) as previously agreed.

But the mayor's office said the former boss of Clarks shoes and the AA would stay on as an advisor.

Mr Parker is the third official to step down from Mr Johnson's administration in three months.

In July, Ray Lewis resigned two months into his post as deputy mayor amid claims of financial irregularities.

A month earlier, James McGrath stepped down as director of political strategy at City Hall.

When appointed in May, Mr Parker agreed to become chairman of TfL as well as chief executive of the Greater London Authority.