Saturday, January 19, 2008

London Mayoralty: Hands in Pockets For Our Ken



Tom Watson MP is wondering how son of the trade Etonian Boris Johnson is managing to pay for his spliffing campaign printing and adverts. Above he's with billionaire alleged ex-Eton-toker and fellow serial adulterer Zac Goldsmith. Both adopting old school hands in pockets look favoured by royalty and uber-toffs.

I'm only guessing at this point but I'd toddle down to Aspinall's to see the old boys and wager a tidy sum that one or two members of the landed gentry will be putting their hands in their pockets for Boris over the next 100 days or so.

Ken needs plenty of horny handed sons and daughters of the soil and Oyster lovers to donate here.

Keep the toffs out of County Hall!

5 comments:

Newmania said...

Of course we know where Livingstone gest his money from , us and thats only the bit that has been discovered .
Chris in all seriousness I am not sure you are right to campaign for Ken. Martin Bright and Nick Coen have some pretty devatsatating criticisms and in Martin Bright`s case they can be taken to be tinged with "Brown " .(He is pretty close I gather)
Have a look at Nick Coen`s Blog and the New Statesman article and the Chanell 4 programme which I think is tonight.If he was a Conservative candidate with this sort of record ( or something comparable )I would not support him.

Honestly , I really think you have got this one wrong, I do not agree with you of course but I do not think you are a crook or dishonest or even not well intentioned .
Livingstone is a very worrying character indeed and the porgressive left are not lining up behind him...(see also Westmonster)

The programme should be interesting , perhaps you have seen the New Statesman Article ?

Newmania said...

Tom Watson is wondering .,..oh puleeeze ...

Chris Paul said...

Tom Watson is full of wonder after all. Wonderful. But seriously, Ken is a card but he is the Labour candidate and he has been extremely successful as most Londoners understand. The idea that I would not support him is of course crazy talk.

I haven't seen NS or C4 but I did read the Observer piece on the sacked former employee whistle blower. How any Tory can whine about Ken when dodgy Boris is your man is also it must be said beyond me. With the Guppy connection as well as the outrageous "satire" to the fore and the bumbling stupidity e.g. slagging off X, Y and Z, and tendancy for AWOL also not a great recommendation.

If I were a Tory (ha ha ha) I would certainly not have backed Boris. Though as a Labour activist I think he will likely gaffe at least two or three times in the next 100 days.

Noticed Dale doing a gratuitous smear on BBC News 24 last night.

Newmania said...

I think the problems with Ken are somewhat more serious than the (nothing )"Guppy"connection and his political incorrectness down the years .Dispatches is on tonight actually I would suggest you watch as it is the work of commited and respected Labour Party supporter (Martin Bright) perhaps you will feel it deserves a hearing

Anonymous said...

I do find it odd that you, a Mancunian and proud, feel the need to devote so much time to Ken Livingstone's defence.

Livingstone has serious questions to answer - about the activities of his unaccountable advisors, about the use of public funds to attack opponents and perceived opponents - and he refuses to answer them.

As to Livingstone's perceived success - the claims for TfL are exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Traffic still travels in London at an average speed of less than 12 mph and within the congestion charge zone, congestion remains and journey times remain as low as ever. Yes, bus use and train use has increased, but at what cost? What about the use of public money to pursue litigation which was doomed to fail over the Government's proposals for London Underground? What about the use of public money to produce monthly newspapers that no-one reads and which are sent to all sorts who have nothing to do with London? And that's before we get to the 'embassies', the connections with dubious dictators, and the elabourate and expensive trips abroad with entourages that would be the envy of Princes and Presidents.

But then, I've never voted for Livingstone and would not do so; he can be charming and persuasive, but as far as I am concerned his record is wasteful and not in the interests of those he claims to serve.