- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 18 January 2000 01.35 GMT
To the delight of his supporters, who are barely on speaking terms with the party leadership, Mr Norris beat his rival Andrew Boff by 12,903 votes to 4,712.
Within minutes of the results Mr Norris set himself at odds with William Hague when he insisted that he would publish his own manifesto which would be beyond the control of central office. "We'll have a short, but friendly, discussion with the leadership over the manifesto just before publication," one Norris supporter said.
Mr Norris underlined his independent streak at a central office press conference where the result of the ballot of the Tory London membership was announced. He directed a carefully-prepared jibe at the senior party official, Tim Collins, who launched a ham-fisted attempt last year to block his candidacy with a whispering campaign against the philandering former minister. "It is for others to play games," Mr Norris said when asked about his relations with the party.
He claimed he would co-operate with the leadership over his own manifesto, but he left no doubt that it would be his own work. "William Hague has made clear that ultimately it is the mayor's manifesto," he said. "I am not the sort of person to be dictated to from outside."
Bernard Jenkin, hastily appointed as the shadow minister for London after Shaun Woodward's defection to Labour, attempted to play down the significance of such remarks. He said that the "main programme for London" would be drawn up the shadow cabinet, in consultation with Mr Norris and the assembly candidates, adding: "We expect Steve to have his own manifesto to put his own gloss on issues. These are devolved matters."
Mr Norris is likely to face his first conflict with the shadow transport secretary, John Red wood, over his support for funding the London Underground through bonds. One supporter said that Mr Norris would not be able to support this policy because he would "have to live" with the government's policy of reviving the tube through public-private partnership.
At the press conference, Mr Norris was well rehearsed for questions about the shambles over Jeffrey Archer. The millionaire novelist was overwhelmingly selected as the Tory candidate last October, beating Mr Norris into second place, but was forced to stand down the following month after he admitted asking a friend to lie in a libel case.
"That was at least a millennium ago," Mr Norris joked, going on to say that he was confident that his campaign would not come unstuck. Watched by his partner Emma Courtney, Mr Norris said: "As I have just about the most public private life of anyone I can think of, that is not an issue which disturbs me greatly."
Labour and the Liberal Democrats were quick to dismiss Mr Norris. One Labour source described Mr Norris as "ideologically footloose" because of his admiration for Michael Portillo while portraying himself as a one nation Tory.
Susan Kramer, the Lib Dem candidate for mayor, described Mr Norris as a "man of the past", adding: "His control of London Transport has left us with a legacy of delays, congestion and disruption."
The candidate's five pledges
• Transport Promises "wholesale change" in management of tube.
• Crime Will publish daily lists of crime figures and promises "zero tolerance of political correctness in policing".
• Education Will establish an education envoy to resolve the "pay up or move out" problem of parents in areas with poor schools.
• Civic pride Will encourage building developments which incorporate shops, houses and offices on brownfield sites. Aiming to reduce rush hour.
• Finance Will campaign for end to unfair treasury funding arrangements which deprive London of £16bn a year.
