Boris the blond bombshell blasts his way to top of ‘most influential men’ list

The Mayor of London, who left the Prime Minister lagging behind for the second year running, led the political agenda this year, forcing Mr Cameron to react to his decisions, according to GQ magazine’s 100 Most Influential Men in Britain 2012 list. The men’s magazine said: “When he says jump, the Prime Minister tries to guess how high.”

The mayor moved up from 15th position last year and now ranks above entrepreneur Sir Philip Green and the Duke of Cambridge.

Placing Mr Johnson top of the list, the judges said: “When Boris comes back from holiday, as he did during the London riots, David Cameron comes back.

“When Boris says he’s wearing a morning suit to the royal wedding, Cameron performs an embarrassing sartorial U-turn.”

Writers dubbed Mr Johnson “the blond bombshell” and said he should not be judged on “his bumbling persona”.

Crucial to the decision to rank him first was the possibility that he could run for the Commons while serving in City Hall, the listing said.

Last year, Mr Cameron was knocked off top spot by his Chancellor, George Osborne, who ranks eighth in this year’s list. Placing Mr Cameron second, the monthly glossy said “choppy waters” lay ahead. “The economic situation, both at home and in Europe, is not as rosy as he would have hoped, and cracks are starting to appear in the coalition.

“Liam Fox’s departure has upset a delicate balance of power, leaving the Eurosceptic wing of the Conservatives isolated and mutinous.

“But with the Labour Party in disarray, Cameron’s position is still strong,” it said.

His deputy, Nick Clegg, was the biggest loser, falling 24 places in the list to 34th position.

“Clegg may have traded away his political capital, but he can now guide legislation the way he wants it,” the magazine judges said.

Other big fallers included Simon Cowell, down 17 places, and Richard Caring, owner of Le Caprice restaurant, down 12 positions.

Education Secretary Michael Gove and London Olympics chief Lord Coe were the biggest climbers, rising 57 and 46 places respectively.

Comedians David Walliams and James Corden and Private Eye editor Ian Hislop were among new entries to the list this year.