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Whistle-blower to sue Mayor over 'bullying' claims
Andrew Gilligan, Evening Standard25.01.08
The whistleblower who exposed a key part of the City Hall scandal is to sue Ken Livingstone for libel, the Evening Standard can reveal.
The move comes after the Mayor claimed on BBC radio that Brenda Stern was sacked for bullying her staff.
Ms Stern, a former London Development Agency manager, was forced from her £70,000-a-year job after she complained about serious irregularities in a project run by a friend of the Mayor's equality adviser Lee Jasper.
A complaint of bullying was made against her but in a letter seen by the Standard, LDA chief executive Manny Lewis says the allegation was investigated and was "not founded".
But speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today, Mr Livingstone described Ms Stern as a "very embittered former member of staff we had to get rid of after complaints she was intimidatory to the staff working for her, and the entire senior management team said it was impossible to work with her".
Ms Stern said today: "One of the Mayor's most unattractive characteristics is the way he responds to any legitimate question with personal abuse. What he said about me to six million listeners was completely untrue, and I have that in writing from his own LDA chief executive.
"I am not a political opponent who can respond in kind. I am an ordinary member of the public who has no means to defend her reputation from this bullying other than the courts. I will not be intimidated into silence."
The Mayor's office hit back, threatening that if Ms Stern sued, the GLA would investigate "other matters" apart from her stint at the LDA, including her past life and previous employment.
As criticism of Mr Livingstone has mounted, he and his supporters have made personal attacks on their critics, including the Standard, which has been accused of "racism" and of conducting a "lynching" of Mr Jasper.
Ms Stern was programme manager for the LDA's Diversity Dividend, an interactive website allowing companies to assess their diversity performance. Before she arrived, the £295,000 contract for the website was given to a company called Diversity International, run by Joel O'Loughlin, a longstanding friend of Mr Jasper's, even though DI had no expertise in computers and was based in Liverpool.
The website never operated properly. Mr O'Loughlin deceived the LDA about his company's financial health and overcharged it by more than £50,000. In emails and letters leaked to the Standard Mr Lewis threatened in writing to sack Mr O'Loughlin and claw back the money, but within days performed a 180-degree turn following an intervention by Mr Jasper.
After Mr Jasper became involved, the threats to sack Mr O'Loughlin were withdrawn and he was offered a further £250,000 and a lucrative consultancy. Ms Stern was forced out after she voiced strong internal objections to the volte-face and the deal, calling it "extortionate", "outrageous" and "against the public interest". Mr Jasper had the final say on her fate.
Mr Livingstone also claimed on the Today programme: "The moment that management [of DI] was shown to be defective, we made certain that the company was wound up. It was brought much more in-house and is now thriving." In fact, DI was wound up by Mr O'Loughlin in a bid to keep his grant, and the Diversity Dividend website is now defunct.
Reader views (12)
Amazing to think that there are still saps willing to vote him back for another term!
- James, Long Island, New York.
Quote: "The Mayor's office hit back, threatening that if Ms Stern sued, the GLA would investigate "other matters" apart from her stint at the LDA, including her past life and previous employment."
What ?
What kind of behaviour is this from a public funded office? Has Ken given up all pretence of being honest and now sinks to threats ? their only defence is to threaten to rake up and sling mud at their critics ?
I am ashamed to say I voted for "Don Ken" and his new Mafiaso. Now the veneer of respectability is falling away from him and we can see exactly what kind of man he is.
Before, Don Ken said he would step down when Londoners told him they had enough of him.
Ken: we've had enough. Go now. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Don't wait for the election ... just GO.
- Triffid, London
I predict there will be many more whistleblowers, once Red Ken is gone. Ken is a strange man and has caused London to become bland and slow moving.
- Georgie, Islington, London
Well done Ms Stern for speaking out. There is clearly something rotten in the Mayor's office and it is finally being uncovered.
- Stephen, Old Street, London
"The Mayor's office hit back, threatening that if Ms Stern sued, the GLA would investigate "other matters" apart from her stint at the LDA, including her past life and previous employment."
- Isn't this just another example of the "question me and I will destroy you" left wing retoric coming from the Mayor's Office?
Good luck with your case Brenda. It is time someone stood up to this bully and I admire your courage.
- Steve, London
Indeed - "investigate other matters" sounds like a threat and bullying in itself - but then again hasn't "bullying" and GLA been linked together before in one of your own articles - didn't the ES find out that incidents of bullying within the GLA were higher then elsewhere.
On the other hand - do we really want Boris as Mayor?
- Sarah, london
Good luck to Ms Stern. It is intolerable that the Mayor would resort to such under-handed tactics against someone who had the public interest at heart when doing her job.
- Anon., London
What a nasty cabal. I think we should lynch the lot of them. Why does London need a mayor? Why not have a minister for London?
- Darren, london
Livingstone and the GLA are beginning to sound like the early days of Zimbabwe's demise, when Mugabe started smearing everyone and threatening them. Livingstone has lost the plot. This needs to be sorted out and fast.
- Cameron, London
Livingstone has lost all control of his mouth.
Does he seriously believe that these (not so)veiled threats to an individual are really what a Mayor of London should be uttering? Never mind the fact that he has been caught bang to rights, he's now in the business of attempting to steamroller all comment or evidence.
How disgusting that he will use our money to "investigate "other matters" apart from her stint at the LDA, including her past life and previous employment." This lady is a former empoyee, as I understand it. I wonder what others who have previously worked there may think about that.
How outrageous and prurient. This is utterly sordid. If you work for Livingstone it would be very wise to remember this example of his behaviour. If you value your privacy and wish for decent treatment from your employer, now is the time to leave.
- Chuck Unsworth, London
"The Mayor's office hit back, threatening that if Ms Stern sued, the GLA would investigate "other matters" apart from her stint at the LDA, including her past life and previous employment."
This is almost the same as if they said "Talk and you will be swimming with the fishes..."
- Marc, Harrow, Uk
What's that sound? Oh it sounds like chickens....coming home to roost.
Good luck Ms. Stern - they'll fight dirty, and I hope you're prepared for that. You are doing the public a service, and those of us who aren't in thrall to the cult of Ken are grateful.
- Sarah N., London
