OVER the years, I ve had something of a love-hate relationship with politics. I have been bored or lost interest in the times when the political scene has been dominated by one party (so that has ruled out Stevenage Borough Council for all of its existenc

OVER the years, I've had something of a love-hate relationship with politics.

I have been bored or lost interest in the times when the political scene has been dominated by one party (so that has ruled out Stevenage Borough Council for all of its existence).

Nationally, it has been yawn-making watching Labour sweeping all away from challenging its rampart of power at Westminster. Tony Blair had a long, long honeymoon with the electorate but even they became unhappy with the relationship and I reckon he got out of it just before the crockery would have begun to fly.

Gordon Brown, on the other hand, is already in trouble with his arranged "marriage" to the voters and could be heading for a quickie divorce.

What has re-awakened my interest, to the limited extent politics can do that, are the election results last week.

Locally, it has been mildly amusing to see Labour losing three seats in Stevenage and the Tories regaining their old role of opposition party but Labour still has a very comfortable 21-seat majority.

It was nodding off time in North Herts when the Conservatives, dominant for so many years, took two seats off Labour to consolidate their position as political masters with a 15-seat majority.

But it was one of those how amusing moments when poor old Labour had it rubbed in by losing its opposition party status to the Lib Dems. Not that it will make much difference to the Tories.

I thought the most interesting thing about last Thursday/Friday was the result in London.

How funny it was that the man Labour tried its devious best to prevent from become mayor of London eight years ago became the pivotal point for saving some of the party's blushes in the election devastation last week.

Could old Left winger Ken Livingstone, dubbed Red Ken by New Labour who hated him, see off the buffoon known as Boris?

No way was the answer, of course. And so we had the spectacle of the tousled, fair-haired, Eton and Oxford-educated, undoubtedly intelligent but eccentric journalist and author who glories under the full name of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson wrenching the reins of power from Ken to head our multi-national capital.

Perhaps it is the way he plays soccer by rugby tackling his opponents that endeared him to the voters. Whatever the reasons, Boris triumphed and now it is going to be very interesting to see how he goes about stamping his authority on the city.

Could we see vehicles banned from central London and only joggers or cyclists allowed in? I think anything is possible with the new mayor.

There's the old chestnut that a week is a long time in politics but I think the next two years is going to feel like an eternity for Gordon Brown, if he lasts that long.

How different the future must have looked to him when he swept into power unopposed in June last year, perhaps dreaming that at last here was his chance to make his mark on history. Maybe it will be the sort of mark for which he will not want to be remembered.