Mayor Boris Johnson's bold attempt to restructure City Hall today marked another step in the development of the old Etonian.

Everyday the Tory man is exposed to the British public, making hands on practical decisions while his party leader can only propose and comment on policy.

GLA shake up

The shake up at the Greater London Authority will see almost £10 million saved - Johnson said City Hall will become "more coherent, focused and will deliver better value" to taxpayers. That's what voters want to hear, and when they can directly see these promises furfilled, they will believe in you.

In a sign of his growing confidence within his new role and position in the Conservative party, he called his latest move a "blueprint" for the next Tory government.

Aspirations

It's statements like these that worries Cameron's team, Johnson's role allows him to be cast as an alternative party leader, whether he wants to be or not - but it appears he does.

During the Olympics the blonde bombshell hinted at his aspirations to one day lead the nation.

He point blank refused to rule out whether he would run for the top job - calling it an "absolute privilege" if called upon.

Cameron relationship

That comment came barley a week after Johnson blasted Cameron's 'Broken Britain' theory - calling it "piffle."

Soon after he backtracked on that statement came the hint in Beijing. Asked about whether he was interested in seizing No 10, he replied:

“I do think it is highly unlikely that I would be called upon to serve in that office . . . Were I to be pulled like Cincinnatus from my plough, then obviously, you know, it would be an absolute privilege to serve.”

Cincinnatus was a Roman republic hero who returned to his farm after serving as consul, but was persuaded to come back by the people as dictator to save the state in a military crisis. A sort of Gladiator scenario for the great Maximus Borisus.

Profile

While Cameron watched the handover ceremony on TV, an audience of billions now knows who the London Mayor and top Tory is.

Photographed next to the great and good of British sport and more importantly connected to success - it was a triumph for Boris' people.

Manifesto

The manifesto Johnson was elected on is slowly being ticked off - crime mapping, congestion charge consultation, Olympic spending curtailed, £25 environmental charge scrapped, scrutinising the London Development Agency, the ban on alcohol on the transport network and now cut backs at City Hall.

Pledges such as getting the tube unions to agree to a no strike deal may prove impossible but shows voters he'll at least try to tackle Bob Crown and his comrades’ stranglehold over the city. And last weeks announcement of transport fare increases show Johnson won't duck the tough decisions.

While David Cameron is chipping away at the walking dead Brown premiership and trying to shake off his Blair label - voters see in Johnson a politician who day in day out deals with the problems at hand.

Shortly after his election, Johnson vowed London would not be a "petri dish" for Cameron's policies and has resisted attempts by party central office to impose advisers and deputies upon his City Hall team.

Party Conference

The forthcoming Conservative Party conference threatens to provoke a new battle between the leadership of the party and Mayor of London, over a clear case of posturing for power of the Conservative party.

According to sources at Conservative Central office the London Daily News has learnt that Boris Johnson will only be addressing a debate at 3pm to 3:15pm on Sunday 28 September at the Birmingham ICC on his vision for London and will not be regarded as a high profile slot.

Democratic mandate

The 1,168,738 people who voted for Johnson gave him the single largest democratic mandate for a directly elected politician in Europe.

The bookies have Cameron as a dead cert to lead the next government, and while that may well be, his team will not being ignoring the growing threat of Johnson if the country rejects his 'new conservatism.'