2020 Hrs GMT London Wednesday 22 July 2009 : Khoodeelaar! told you so at 1710 Hrs GMT today...TWO hours later, the London DAILY MAIL published the following....
David Cameron and Boris Johnson at 'breaking point' over Crossrail and Thames estuary airport plans
By KIRSTY WALKER
Last updated at 8:17 PM on 22nd July 2009
Relations between Boris Johnson and David Cameron were tonight reported to have reached 'breaking point' after the Tory leader blocked his plans for the next election manifesto.
London Mayor Mr Johnson has been pushing for the Conservatives to back plans for London's Crossrail project, a Thames estuary airport and enhanced mayoral powers.
But Mr Cameron and Shadow Chancellor George Osborne are reported to have made the £16billion cross-London rail scheme a possible savings target.
Relations between David Cameron (left) and Boris Johnson (right) are reported to have reached 'breaking point' after the Tory leader blocked his plans for the next election manifesto
But Mr Johnson fears they will now delay the project if they win power at the next General Election.
His spokesman said: 'There is a wide consensus around the huge importance of the Crossrail project to the London and UK economy, and construction has already begun.'
The Tory high command have also poured cold water on Mr Johnson's plans for a new airport in the Thames Estuary.
Mr Johnson aims to replace Heathrow as the UK's main airport with up to six runways on a man-made island - dubbed Boris Island - two miles off Sheerness in Kent.
But senior Conservatives fear that Mr Johnson's Thames Estuary plans could put off Tory voters in the area.
The plan has been dismissed as unworkable by environmentalists and Kent residents. There are also questions over whether the Mayor has the jurisdiction to develop such a project outside the capital.
It is not the first time that Mr Johnson and Mr Cameron have crossed swords.
Since seizing control of City Hall last year, Mr Johnson has effectively been the Conservatives' most powerful elected politician.
But he has repeatedly put himself at odds with Tory leader David Cameron over party policy – prompting concerns that he is a ‘loose cannon’.
Mr Johnson contradicted shadow chancellor George Osborne by saying the Tories should commit themselves to abolishing the 50p upper rate of income tax for high earners proposed by Alistair Darling in the Budget.
The Mayor has also dismissed Mr Cameron's claims that Britain has become a 'broken society' and he has backed the return of grammar schools - a policy ruled out by the Tory leader.
Writing in his newspaper column earlier this year, Mr Johnson said: 'If you believe the politicians, we have a broken society...What piffle that is.'
Earlier this year, Mr Johnson suggested he would be prepared to stand for the Tory leadership in the future saying: "'Nothing is excluded.'
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