More on Ken Livingstone

Here you can see Ken Livingstone being interviewed on the BBC about various matters. The most interesting thing is his comment at around 5 minutes 50 seconds when he is asked "What is Ken Livingstone going to do about the financial mismanagement at the London Development Agency?" Ken calls the Evening Standard "the Evening Boris" and goes onto state that "there have been 18 allegations, we've now had the external auditors investigate these, 15 have been dismissed completely". He also made the incredible remark in reply to the interviewer saying "but it's not an independent enquiry, is it?" that "if you want to say to an independent firm of auditors that they are taking direction from me, they'll probably sue you!". Also listen to the question about Brixton Base at around 7 minutes 15.

For an answer to these points you may want to read this from the Evening Standard (my emphasis). "Ken Livingstone has been accused of "misleading the public" after claiming an internal probe into the City Hall grants scandal was independent.

The Mayor was attacked by MPs from all three big political parties over his claim about the London Development Agency review. It examined allegations that LDA cash was misappropriated by friends of his adviser Lee Jasper...

Questioned on TV news show BBC London last night, Mr Livingstone said: "We've just had one independent inquiry - the [LDA's] external auditors looked into this. They've dismissed 15 allegations."

But today the London Assembly heard evidence from two senior LDA officials dramatically at odds with Mr Livingstone's claims.

Andrew Travers, who led the review, told Assembly members: "The review has been conducted by a team of LDA staff supported by a team of internal auditors - the conclusions of the review are mine alone."

LDA chief executive Manny Lewis said the review had spoken neither to Mr Jasper, nor to anyone from the suspect projects or not employed by City Hall."

The article continues "Labour MP Kate Hoey, Lib-Dem Lynne Featherstone and Conservative Greg Hands accused the Mayor of misleading the public. Mr Hands, MP for Hammersmith and Fulham, said: "It is deeply misleading for Mr Livingstone to suggest that the LDA has either been cleared or that the enquiry is independent."

Ms Featherstone said: "Ken has no shame. It is almost as if if he shouts loud enough he makes what he is saying true, but the evidence shows that what the Mayor has said is not true.""


Do feel free to draw your own conclusions; I know I have.


Could we tax-paying Londoners finally be about to get rid of Ken Livingstone? Dare we hope, or will he somehow come back yet again to torment us even more? Unfortunately I fear the latter.