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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Arise Sir Mike! Bloomberg the Brit wannabe revealed by New York Times -- Ascot, top hats, staying with Prince Charles, all part of the new Mike

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Arise Sir Mike! Bloomberg the Brit wannabe revealed by New York Times -- Ascot, top hats, staying with Prince Charles, all part of the new Mike

Posted on Friday, February 08, 2013 at 07:41 AM

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            New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, right,

             greets Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, left as her husband Prince Philip watches (Credit:AP)

The mystery over what Mike Bloomberg will do when he stops being Mayor of New York seems to be solved.

The New York Times reveals today that Bloomberg wants more than anything to be British and is building the ultimate vanity project in Britain, his own ‘grandiose’ development in London’s financial district, named after himself--who else?

The article also reveals that Mayor Mike loves to attend Royal Ascot races in his top hat and tails and has stayed at the country home of Prince Charles. Thrilling stuff!

The Times notes that, “He bought a box at Ascot, the high-society horse racing grounds, and flew in celebrities by helicopter from London. (Guests received a photograph of themselves drinking Champagne with the top-hatted host.)”

The Boston-born, New York Jewish mayor has clearly had a major attack of Anglophilia, an incurable affliction when it infects American wannabes.

Mike is buying his way into high society in London. “There is no question,” Ms. Peyton-Jones, an art gallery director said, “he’s among the most important supporters of contemporary culture in this country.”

I’m sure he is and I’m sure the Brits are snickering all the way to the bank with the NY mayor Brit wannabe writing all the checks they want.

As The Times notes, Mr. Bloomberg, “an Anglophile with a taste for English Regency style — is exporting his vast quantities of financial, social and political capital to this ancient city, where he has long yearned for influence.”

Regency style dear reader is when you are a fan of the neo-classical architecture that reigned during the time of George IV, who ruled in the early 1800s. Bronx residents will be very familiar with it and speak of little else.  Bloomberg Place, The Times tells us, is “roughly the size of a Manhattan city block, is the future European home of Michael R. Bloomberg’s company and charity.” And perhaps Bloomberg itself, it seems like. 

So intent is Mike on making an impression that Prime Minister David Cameron has roguishly suggested he should run for Mayor of London.

The Royal family are also in his sights and he spent a night at the home of Prince Charles in Scotland but alas, didn’t like it; “Won’t stay there again,” he said of the vast estate.  Bloomberg it appears offers considerable help to Conservative party politicians. He dispatched a top PR team to help David Cameron get elected and has spent $1.5 million on Conservative candidates.

It is all a long way from the Bronx and Staten Island and their mundane concerns. But Mayor Mike will surely do us all proud as a British wannabe. 

Reader it is only a matter of time before we’ll be referring to Sir Mike and bowing and scraping in his presence!

When you are knighted you have to walk backwards out of the room so as not to show your rear end to the monarch. 

Hope Mike doesn’t make a horse’s ass of that. 

See more: Irish in US Politics , Irish in New York

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anglo-norman | Feb 09, 2013, 01:14 PM EST

RobinForester- RESPECT

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RobinForester | Feb 09, 2013, 10:25 AM EST

Seanmor, Why don't you reveal that virtually all the the IRA members were drawing British unemployment pay and benefits during the troubles, including children's clothing allowances to buy clothing and shoes for schools, there children got free school meals and whilst they were in prison these benefits continued to be paid to their wives who were given an extra travel allowance to visit their menfolk in prison. Why not mention that they lived free in British Council houses paid for by the taxpayer, and add 'that whilst they professed to represent the Catholics of Northern Island, the vast majority of them had never visited a Catholic Church since being baptised. The IRA was a scam and pretence movement from 1965 on. Do mention if you will that Gerry Adams as a university student was a Socialist Communist Party member who said in a 1978? on a USA TV show he wanted (and I quote) for Northern Ireland to be similar to East Germany. And let's add when his thug Billy Powers and five others blew up a pub in Birmingham killing 11 young people, Powers was living in a Birmingham City Council house and receiving British Government benefits cash each week. Without doubt the people who were victimized were the kind hearted Brits, and, why there wasn't anti-Irish riots in England I don't know. Irish people are respected in England, and their sizable contribution to our society allows us to ignore the IRA faults and shortcomings, the exception being the IRA killing of the famous racehorse Shergar, the English Derby Winner owned by the Prince Aga Khan, this horses death saddened and disgusted many here and caused the IRA to be the laughing stock terrorist movement of Europe, if it had been Secretariat the Triple Stake winner I'm certain the St Patricks Day Parade would have been cancelled that year out of respect for an USA legend.

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Schlomo | Feb 09, 2013, 09:57 AM EST

Funny, I remember His Honor smoozing with the natives in Knock, Co Mayo a few years ago. Bloomie goes where the smell of financial rewards is. Gee, that makes him an honorary Irishman fer sure, fer sure!

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Seanmor | Feb 09, 2013, 09:46 AM EST

Realist: I've never been a great fan of the Brits either (even tho I was born in Londo).During the 30 years of the 'Troubles' in the Northeast corner of Ireland, my sympathies weere very much with the victimized Nationlists. However, in recent years as G.B.has increasingly came under the influence of foreigners (legal and illegal) from the Third World who are bent on destroying what is left of British cultur. Now I find myself identifying more and more with the highly civilized Britons. I should also mention that I admire P.M. Cameron for publicly stating the killing of 13 Nationalists (by british Paras) on Bloody Sunday were "unjustified. and "unjustifiabe".

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handsome68 | Feb 09, 2013, 09:35 AM EST

Jimmy Savile was knighted, wasn't he? I rest my case.

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RobinForester | Feb 09, 2013, 07:24 AM EST

he's popular, a good Ambassador for America and New York, well liked and welcome in Britain, and if he wants to be Mayor of London I'll vote for him. Of course HM the Queen likes him, but will the men of Sherwood Forest? they being the remnants of Robins Bnad of Merry men, maybe, just maybe if he asks for an Official Sherwood Foresters meet under the Great Oak of England we'll look him over and see , it would help to cement our friendship if he promises to bring some bagels, some chopped liver, herring, lokshen and not leave behind a NY Golem or two (we have enough Golems of our own thank you) then we might make him an honorary member? Will someone tell him we now have a ban on bow and arrows and all weapons following the tragic events in Connecticutt and bodyguards with guns are not allowed.

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Thomas84 | Feb 09, 2013, 06:23 AM EST

Anglo norman ... Im not sure if you were on another planet at the time but the only people allowed near the queen when it got here were people who had signed up 4 months before hand, everyone else was kept at a minimum of 80 meters away from it. When it was driven through dublin nobody was even allowed to be on the same street. Why are your comments about this full of outright lies ?

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Realist | Feb 09, 2013, 05:48 AM EST

Yet again, another new low. This is not journalism. Just more pathetic attention seeking ex-wife behaviour. If you dislike the British so much, why do you keep going on about them? Get over it.

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cillowen | Feb 08, 2013, 05:19 PM EST

England continued to ship tens of thousands of Irish slaves for more than a century. Records state that, after the 1798 Irish Rebellion, thousands of Irish slaves were sold to both America and Australia.

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cillowen | Feb 08, 2013, 05:18 PM EST

test it

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cillowen | Feb 08, 2013, 05:13 PM EST

ashamed of their holocaust - not the bloomie ilk. Snippit of history on Erin. .. In time, the English thought of a better way to use these women (in many cases, girls as young as 12) to increase their market share: The settlers began to breed Irish women and girls with African men to produce slaves with a distinct complexion. These new “mulatto” slaves brought a higher price than Irish livestock and, likewise, enabled the settlers to save money rather than purchase new African slaves. This practice of interbreeding Irish females with African men went on for several decades and was so widespread that, in 1681, legislation was passed “forbidding the practice of mating Irish slave women to African slave men for the purpose of producing slaves for sale.” In short, it was stopped only because it interfered with the profits of a large slave transport company..

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anglo-norman | Feb 08, 2013, 04:37 PM EST

It never ceases to amaze me how british the Irish are..

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cillowen | Feb 08, 2013, 04:34 PM EST

a licking is not unknown to the many who we know in ould erin gone belly-up.

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eireog68 | Feb 08, 2013, 03:55 PM EST

Please don't wait another minute take him now you can have him he is a self inflated pompas ass. He cares only about himself and his ideas of grandeur it is do as he says or else.

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seanomelb | Feb 08, 2013, 03:45 PM EST

Bostonrugby Quinn is Irish/American and Bloomberg is Boston/? It's not about Ireland,maybe it's about your anti Irish slant.Comparing him with a few plastic ex Irish like wogan and Geldof is reasonable.

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