Boris under fire as protesters at MIPIM kick-off
THE MIPIM conference must have felt a million miles away from its usual home in Cannes when it opened in Olympia yesterday, not only because the Riviera sunshine was nowhere to be seen but the party atmosphere was also dampened by hundreds of angry protesters.
“Doesn’t MIPIM mean, Men In Property In the Mediterranean or Meet me In the Pool In a Minute,” said Boris Johnson, subject of most of the protest action, as he took to the stage.
Rumours that the conference had been shut down because of the protests were abound (albeit untrue) and things certainly did come to a head with one delegate reportedly slapping a protester. Police confirmed there was one arrest, thought to be said slap-happy delegate.
All of this didn’t put off property’s golden boy Nick Candy from popping in for his panel session on foreign investment.
The One Hyde Park developer got a bit hot under the collar when it came to the old lights out argument, making the case that he’s British and spends half the year travelling and not in his home. Life’s sweet for the Candys, eh?