What lies behind Livingstone's suspension?
Charlie Pottins
LONDON's mayor Ken Livingstone is still in office, a high court
judge having halted his suspension, hours before it would have
taken effect. The stay of execution represents a partial victory,
as Mayor Livingstone seeks a judicial review of last week's
decision by the Adjudication Panel for England, the government
body supposed to deal with serious disciplinary cases involving
local government, over complaints that he offended an Evening
Standard reporter who accosted him outside a
party.
The case is unlikely to be heard for several weeks. Without the
stay of execution, Livingstone would have been obliged to step
down today.
The decision of the unelected panel to remove the elected mayor
from office for a month was widely criticised. During his
suspension the mayor would have been unable to perform duties
relating to policing, transport and the Olympics.
Accusing the Evening Standard of censoring swearing by
their reporter from their recording of the exchange, Ken
Livingstone also pointed to the way the Board of Deputies of
British Jews had seen the case as an opportunity to have a go at
him over his criticisms of Israel.
"Some time before this incident was blown out of all
proportion the Board of Deputies asked to meet me to urge me to
tone down my views on the Israeli government ... I think they saw
this as an opportunity for them to try and hush me on it. It
hasn't worked".
As I have pointed out
on my blog, the Board's moves came with
an international campaign by the Los Angeles-based Simon
Wiesenthal Centre condemning Livingstone as an "antisemite"
because of his views on the Middle East. Jewish Londoners who
wrote telling the US organisation it was wrong were ignored, just
as Oslo's Jewish community was ignored when it tried to correct a
Simon Wiesenthal Centre report about events in Norway. Rich Uncle
in America knows what's good for us.
Many Jewish people, even those who don't share Livingstone's
views, are unhappy at the way the Board has lent itself to the
campaign, and been instrumental to efforts to dislodge an elected
mayor. They say it was at least ill-judged and out of proportion
to the supposed offence.
There was supposed to be a demonstration against Ken Livingstone
when he spoke at the Hackney Empire last night. It had been
thought some of the characters who demonstrated last November
against the "Skies Are Weeping" concert might turn out.
But maybe the weather was too cold for the Zionists, or having
prematurely assumed a victory courtesy of the Adjudication Panel,
they had laid their "indignation" to rest. Inside the theatre,
after hearing Ken speak, the audience voted by something like two
thirds that he should not have been suspended.
The singing star of the "Skies Are Weeping" concert did make a
return appearance last night, albeit as a member of the public,
contributing from the auditorium this time. In an e-mail to
friends last night Deborah Fink writes:
"Well, I've just come back from a bit of BoD bashing which you may
wish to hear about.I went to the Hackney Empire to join the
counter demo to the demo against Ken. Alas (!) there was no demo
against Ken, just people supporting him. Sarah Colborne (PSC) was
there and we decided to go in.We sat at the front, but on the
side. At the beginning, there was a majority vote that No, Ken
should not have been suspended, (was on BBC London News, 10.30pm).
At the end, we could ask questions on topics not already covered.
Tactically, I then moved to the centre, by chance wearing my
orange jumper (works every time!). I said something along the
lines of this:
'To return to the issue of Ken's suspension, I would like to
say this for the record, and for the press. I am a Jew. You may be
aware that the Board of Deputies of British Jews made the initial
complaint against Ken. The Jewish community did not elect the BoDs.
They do not speak on behalf of most of us. Their agenda, as with
the Chief Rabbi, seems to me, to act as an extension of the
Israeli Embassy. They seem to want to get rid of Ken as he
continually criticises Israel. By continually crying wolf in
regard to anti-Semitism, when there is real anti-Semitism, no one
will care! Israel wants there to be anti-Semitism so all Jews move
to Israel'....... Interrupted by and followed by round of
applause".
Applause which I'll echo. I could not have put it better myself, Debbie.
Transcript of the conversation between Livingstone and Finegold
March 2006
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