Today, New Nation, one of Britain’s two main black newspapers has published the results of a survey of prominent black people regarding the Tory London Mayoral candidacy of Boris Johnson.

Johnson claimed last week that some of the comments made about him from the black community did not reflect the sentiments of black Britons. He told the Evening Standard that “the attacks on me were a put-up job, and in no sense represented the black community”, despite the fact that in October a black Conservative Councillor, in London, Enley Taylor, said “it is very worrying to me that I belong to a party that is prepared to overlook clearly racist statements by its mayoral candidate because of political expediency.”

Those who contributed to the survey include Courtney Griffiths QC and broadcaster and journalist, Henry Bonsu. Of Johnson’s reported comments on black people, Griffiths said “it reflects a deep-seated racism which of course as a politician he tries to camouflage”, whilst Bonsu said “I’m aware that Boris, because of his background, is unlikely to have any black friends but I wonder who is advising him.” Bonsu went on to say “if he really thinks that the things he has said are not offensive then he is not fit to be leader of a diverse city such as London”.

Most curious of all were the comments of the singer, actress and well known Tory supporter, Patti Boulaye (pictured right with former Tory leader, Iain Duncan-Smith MP), who said “who’s Boris Johnson?”.