Morning:
13°c
Did Ken break rules to win 2004 election?
Pippa Crerar and Ross Lydall18.01.08
Mayor Ken Livingstone faces another blow to his re-election campaign amid a fresh series of damaging allegations.
A Channel 4 documentary is to claim that the Mayor's inner circle of advisers breached strict rules which ban City Hall employees from working on election campaigns.
The Dispatches programme, to be broadcast on Monday, is to claim that key aides raised funds, wrote articles and conducted briefings for the Mayor's election campaign in 2004 even though they were being paid by the taxpayer at the time.
In the programme a "whistleblower" claims three of the Mayor's most senior advisers ran the campaign while on the public payroll.
Dispatches maintains that although any breach of the GLA rules would not necessarily have been a criminal offence it should still have been punishable by disciplinary action.
The Mayor's office strenuously denies the allegations, which threaten to overshadow Mr Livingstone's battle against Tory candidate Boris Johnson and Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick.
The documentary, presented by New Statesman political editor Martin Bright, reveals details of an alleged smear campaign - initiated by one of the Mayor's most senior advisers, Lee Jasper - against Trevor Phillips before he became chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
A spokeswoman for Mr Livingstone dismissed the allegations as a "smear campaign" and claimed the programme was politically motivated.
"Ken Livingstone has pointed out that the broadcasting of such a programme during the run-up to an election, with no equivalent programme on the other candidates, was a violation of all rules of objective coverage of elections," she said.
Len Duvall, chairman of the Greater London Labour Party, said: "These are old issues. If someone had done something wrong in 2004 I would have expected claims to have been made in 2004.
"We want to get on to talk about the issues. Quite frankly, some of these are old smears and our opponents don't want to talk about transport, policing or the environment, where there have been improvements.
"If they have got anything they should put up or shut up. These are diversions because they are afraid to debate the issues."
Reader views (16)
"It just shows how desparate Johnson and the Tories are scraping the bottom of the barrel and dredging up non-news".
- Dhanraj, Basildon, Essex
Where on earth does the article mention Livingstone's political opponents? Read the article!
- G S Randall, London
Time this hypocritical bourgeois man got his marching orders, just another item to add to the catalogue of what Ken wants he gets, regardless of public opinion or right or wrong!
Isn't it about time we had a Mayor who was for the people and stands by the people - or am I just dreaming!
- Nic Zuraw, London
Witch-hunts and smears, media investigations' all sound to me like the usual assortment of opponents of a politician who are unable to debate the political issues.
If rules were broken in 2004, it seems strange that his opponents only bring it up now. The Standard, as with every other newspaper, has the right to back who they wish during the mayoral election.
Boris Johnson is the only mayoral candidate who won't put a charge on oil guzzlers. Why is he the only Tory who doesn't want to abolish the congestion charge - if it was such a failure, it would be an easy winner.
With Livingstone, and perhaps Paddick, we know what they believe. But Boris? Cut the smears, start the discussion.
- Ray Sirotkin, London,UK
If he did then he should go and leave the race to Boris. It is now for the police to charge him!
- Georgie, London
Ken Livingstone keeps saying that every new allegation regarding his abuse of ratepayers' money is a 'smear' without providing any detailed defence. If the very serious claims made by Andrew Gilligan and, now, by Martin Bright of the New Statesman (a left-wing journal) are untrue why doesn't the mayor have the courage to sue? This is in itself telling.
- Marc Glendening, London UK
They all moan about Ken but having been born and bred in London I thank Ken for all he has done as Mayor despite many of his policies not being welcome. At least he had the guts to sort some of the problems out. He may not be perfect but what politician is. If we end up with Boris Johnson as mayor heaven help us.
- Alan, London
Ken is coming over more and more as a politician who does not know when it is right to stop. He has made his mark and done well especially on transport. Those who advise him should already know this and should be worried about their futures also. Shame there is no real strong opponent though!
- Gerry, Enfield
For goodness sake dump Livingstone so that we no longer have to put up with his ghastly nasal whine.
- Derek, Brussels Belgium
It just shows how desparate Johnson and the Tories are scraping the bottom of the barrel and dredging up non-news.
- Dhanraj, Basildon, Essex
Let's try to fully understand this . . . "Dispatches maintains that although any breach of the GLA rules would not necessarily have been a criminal offence it should still have been punishable by disciplinary action."
Hang on a second . . . the taxpayer "paid" for Mr Livingstone's election campaign? Did the taxpayers similarly pay for the other candidates election campaigns too? If not, why not?
If it is true that senior staff were "secretly" working on his "re-election campaign", which is against GLA rules and effectively being funded by the taxpayer, then in "what way precisely" is this NOT a criminal offence?
Are all UK politicians immune and exempt from the laws that extend to everyone else in Britain? Can anyone in politics be "trusted" any more?
Time for a change (New Mayor urgently required - Apply within!). After all, change is good!
- Fraser, Telford Park
A specious argument from Mr Len Duvall. If someone did do something wrong then the public would expect something to be done about it as soon as evidence of wrong doing is brought to light.
- Peter Haldane, London
Ken Livingstone has done nothing but cause misery to Londoner's hiking up bus and tube fares above inflation, introducing and expanding the CONgestion Charge in the face of massive opposition and using the draconian TfL to fine motorists.
- Dan Howard, London,UK
Standard Livingstone response: 'Polically motivated, blah, blah, blah'. He just doesn't get it, does he?
And Duvall pulling the old 'move on' routine.
No interest. No shame. No integrity. No sense.
- Chuck Unsworth, London
Ah...is he prepared to break the rules now? Is the "free" newspaper on the bus and at the tube stations telling all and sundry about what TFL is doing and new rules on Oyster and how there is more cops on the buses (I wish!) not an example of using local government employees to publicise King Ken's policies for his election campaign?
- Dene Wood, Grays, Essex
This is not a 'Ken attacked..' story.
Well done and keep it up!
Incidentally, how can Ken's spokeswoman claim that this breaks 'all' the rules? How can it?
- William, London
Typical: someone with New Statesman credentials tries to uncover the truth and is immediately smeared by some NuLab apparatchik. Let's dump Ken and soon.
- Johno, London
