London mayor tried to convince Apple to sponsor 'Garden Bridge' project
London mayor Boris Johnson reportedly flew to San Francisco in February 2013 in hopes Apple would sponsor the city's "Garden Bridge," a proposed pedestrian walkway spanning the River Thames.
Apple executives were pitched on the idea between February 3 and 5, even though Johnson's administration had yet to give official backing to the project, according to sources for The Architects' Journal. The bridge's designer, Thomas Heatherwick, was also allegedly present despite not having actually won that title yet.
Critics have accused Heatherwick and Absolutely Fabulous actress Joanna Lumley of having biased Transport for London's bridge contest in their lobbying of Johnson. The mayor's trip was also reportedly financed by taxpayers, a potentially egregious violation of rules considering that the procurement process for the bridge hadn't been completed.
News of the scandal first emerged last month, but at the time, Apple's involvement was unknown. At an oversight committee on Dec. 17 Johnson agreed to release the names of people who had participated in the San Francisco trip -- though not immediately, as he claimed this would bias talks with the unnamed sponsor, saying there were "some quite promising lines of conversation."
A source described as "close to Apple" told the Journal that Apple has "no involvement" in the bridge project, and is moreover "not considering getting involved." A mayoral spokesperson confirmed that Johnson met with the company in 2013 to discuss "investment opportunities in London," but said that Heatherwick was only coincidentally in California meeting with Apple for a "separate commitment."
"Given that he [Heatherwick] had already expressed interest in creating a Garden Bridge, the Mayor invited him to join the meeting and outline his ideas," the spokesperson added, insisting that this had no impact on the bridge's procurement process.
Apple generally doesn't sponsor buildings or other landmarks, so it's unclear why Johnson would've approached the company aside from its billions in cash reserves.
Apple executives were pitched on the idea between February 3 and 5, even though Johnson's administration had yet to give official backing to the project, according to sources for The Architects' Journal. The bridge's designer, Thomas Heatherwick, was also allegedly present despite not having actually won that title yet.
Critics have accused Heatherwick and Absolutely Fabulous actress Joanna Lumley of having biased Transport for London's bridge contest in their lobbying of Johnson. The mayor's trip was also reportedly financed by taxpayers, a potentially egregious violation of rules considering that the procurement process for the bridge hadn't been completed.
News of the scandal first emerged last month, but at the time, Apple's involvement was unknown. At an oversight committee on Dec. 17 Johnson agreed to release the names of people who had participated in the San Francisco trip -- though not immediately, as he claimed this would bias talks with the unnamed sponsor, saying there were "some quite promising lines of conversation."
A source described as "close to Apple" told the Journal that Apple has "no involvement" in the bridge project, and is moreover "not considering getting involved." A mayoral spokesperson confirmed that Johnson met with the company in 2013 to discuss "investment opportunities in London," but said that Heatherwick was only coincidentally in California meeting with Apple for a "separate commitment."
"Given that he [Heatherwick] had already expressed interest in creating a Garden Bridge, the Mayor invited him to join the meeting and outline his ideas," the spokesperson added, insisting that this had no impact on the bridge's procurement process.
Apple generally doesn't sponsor buildings or other landmarks, so it's unclear why Johnson would've approached the company aside from its billions in cash reserves.
Comments
Umm, politicians and Other People's Money?
That's like saying it is unclear why the sun rose this morning. Those bastards never have enough, regardless of their stripe. The only difference between them is how willing they are to use the power of the state to take it.
But, hey. My opinion doesn't really matter, and neither does yours. What matters is facts and reality, so we shall just see what happens come November.
We obviously see things differently, and that's ok, but we shall see who is more crazy, me or you.
And, to be fair to them all, they're right. Trump is a massive numpty. He stated that there are areas of the UK where the Police are scared to go because of Muslim radicals. That is an absolute lie. No such place exists. He also stated that the UK has a 'massive Muslim problem'. Also totally untrue - and plenty of other descriptive terms can be applied to that nonsense too, but this if a family site, so I shall desist. He is the man who was happy to stand side by side with Sarah Palin. I mean, really? That successful politician? The one who couldn't even be bothered to see out her one gubernatorial term? The one who thinks she could 'see Russia' from her window? The one who blames her son's alleged spousal abuse incident on the current president?!
Honestly... I'm building a bunker if Trump gets elected. And I don't even live in the US.
And no, Palin never did say that she could see Russia from her window. Some idiot comedian who is far less attractive than Palin said that, and lots of ignorant people believed that Palin actually said it, and ignorant media spread the lies. And they keep on repeating that lie, even to this day.
And just for the record, Russia can be seen from Alaska. That is a fact.
Also, I would suggest that you stock up on concrete and that you begin building your bunker, because you will probably need it.
I live in the UK. I *know* that not to be true. Trump's claims about no-go areas in London have been roundly condemned by the Metropolitan Police Force (which hardly ever comments on political matters, and far less on things that are said about the capital city by people in other countries!). They are the people who know. As a Londoner, born and bred, *I* know this too. Trump is making up stuff to appeal to his racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic supporters. He is playing the politics of fear and division. Why, the very idea of marking people out based only on their religion harks right back to a certain European dictator in the 1930s... The man is appalling to any right thinking person. (And before you accuse me of being a socialist liberal leftie, I've never voted for a left of centre political party in my life!)
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/08/the-met-blasts-donald-trump-for-london-police-in-fear-muslims-claim ;
Upon investigation, I will however withdraw the comment about Palin seeing Russia. The rest however stands, and it's notable that you didn't address any of it.
It's not notable. It's common sense. Did you not read the first line of my reply, where I mentioned that this is not the political section of the forum?
Posts have been deleted in the past, so it's a waste of time to spend some minutes on typing something that will soon disappear perhaps, and that is why I wont go into any detail here. I don't know how long you've been on this forum, but I speak from experience.
Safest place in the UK I hear. At least according to the plod, if not it's residents of the young female kind.
Not that I have a brief for Trump, who I find incredibly and hilariously has positioned himself as anti establishment, the same multi billionaire that had the clintons at one of his weddings for God's sake.
The establishment of course regardless of whether or not they are democrats, republicans, conservatives, labour or whatever has brought it on themselves. They are too much like the Eoli, inadvertently turning the ordinary people into Morlocks. And we know what happened in that story.