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Mayor Boris 'politically corrupted' Green inquiry
Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor8 Dec 2008
BORIS Johnson is facing investigation over his role in the Damian Green affair after a formal complaint to the Metropolitan Police Authority.
The Mayor was accused of prejudging the outcome of the police investigation into the Tory MP by revealing he had "a hunch" he would face no charges.
He also admitted last week he had spoken to Mr Green, an old friend and former colleague, since his arrest in the Home Office leaks inquiry.
The official complaint against Mr Johnson, who was speaking in his capacity as head of the MPA, accuses him of "politically corrupting" the investigation and, if upheld, could eventually lead to his suspension or even removal as Mayor of London.
Mr Johnson has denied any wrongdoing and has justified his remarks by insisting he had no knowledge of sensitive operational details of the case.
His spokesman said: "We're aware that a complaint has been made and will answer any appropriate questions in the right forum. In the meantime the Mayor maintains he has done nothing inappropriate."
Len Duvall, Labour leader on the London Assembly, made the complaint to MPA chief executive Catherine Crawford and the Assembly's monitoring officer.
He alleges the Mayor is guilty of four "clear and serious" breaches of code of conduct by speaking to Mr Green, a suspect in an ongoing criminal investigation, and publicly prejudging the outcome of the police inquiry following a private briefing by senior officers.
Mr Duvall, chairman of the MPA until he was ousted by Mr Johnson in October, claims he has brought the Mayor's office into "disrepute" and undermined his relationship with the Met in relation to operational policing.
The monitoring officer now has 28 days to decide whether the complaint is valid and should be referred to the Greater London Authority's standards committee, which can commission an investigation and hold a hearing.
The body has the power to suspend an elected official for up to six months, or could refer the case to the local government watchdog, the Standards Board for England, which could see Mr Johnson banned from public office for up to five years if found guilty of misconduct.
Former mayor Ken Livingstone was suspended from office for four weeks after he compared an Evening Standard journalist to a concentration camp guard, although the ruling was eventually overturned.
Reader views (22)
These are malicious, retaliatory actions by a politicised police and their allies in the Labour Party.
What Boris Johnson did was passing a brief and commonsensical comment on the (bogus) police investigation.
Many of us could have made the same observations (without the benefit of any briefing by senior police officers) and, probably, many of us did.
- Dorris, London, UK, 10/12/2008 12:13
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"I wonder if it had been a Labour MP the police would have taken the same over the top action "
Yes they would. But what was 'over the top' about it?
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 08/12/2008 17:02
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Tory bloggers and apologists writing in again.
Why are Adrian and jean commenting, You don't live in London, therefore not qualified to opine.
- Kerry, Purley, 08/12/2008 16:35
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It's nothing more that a cynical ploy and a serious case of sour grapes on the part of the Labour members of the GLA. Utter hypocracy, we didnt elect Boris to play lap dog to the Government, we elected him to look out for London's interest. By stating the blindingly obvious he's doing just that!
- Jonathan, London, 08/12/2008 16:33
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So Boris speaks the truth and is called in to question. Our country is taken to war on a lie and the perpetrator leaves office with a solid gold pension and a guaranteed future on the lucrative after dinner circuit. The banana republic UK is now official.
- Jean, Hatfield, Herts, 08/12/2008 16:16
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How typical of Len Duval to try and stir up more trouble when he should be sorting out Haringey and similar corrupt councils who spend taxpayers money to avoid responsibility for their failings....one despairs of this Governments headlong rush to commit suicide by assuming the general public cannot see through their corrupt and self interested activities.
- Doug, london, 08/12/2008 15:49
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I wonder if it had been a Labour MP the police would have taken the same over the top action and what action Mr Martin the Speaker would have taken. Boris is doing a good job and he so called "breach" was perfectley acceptable under the circumstances. All he as done in the interests of sanity is expose another attempt to quash democracy.
- Adrian, Paris, France, 08/12/2008 14:00
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It is only now that I realise what a pathetic, seedy, shabby administration Ken Livingston ran,judging from the actions and comments of his apologists in the Labour group. They should collectively crawl off, and, make themselves comfortable under the nearest stone where they could possibly debate and solve the problems of the New Labour/Socialist republic of Haringey, before making their expert opinion, experience and talents available to Londoners as a whole! Thank goodness for common sense and Boris!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London., 08/12/2008 13:57
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Labour must really believe we are all stupid. In my seventy years I have never known such a corrupt party. Green and Johnson are trying to find out what went wrong. Diverting the issue is juvenile and stupid but what else do you expect from Labour
- Lemar, London, 08/12/2008 13:44
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Is this the same Len Duvall who was chosen by Livingstone to be the original Chair of the MPA?. Who was unceremoniously rejected by his constituents at the subsequent London Assembly elections, but somehow managed to retain his unelected seat on the MPA, courtesy of one Ken Livingstone. But, like all Nu-Labour favourites following electoral defeat, he was selected as the official candidate for the much safer Labour seat of Greenwich. So now he can repay Livingstone by being his mouthpiece on the London Assembly.
- Paul, Banstead. Uk, 08/12/2008 13:39
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Just another example of Boris being lazy. He spends so much time making TV programs and writing Telegraph articles that he is not putting in the hours on his real job. If he were working for a profit-making company he would be given his cards.
- Harold Lloyd, Acton UK, 08/12/2008 13:15
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Kids are getting stabbed on the dirty streets, babies are being killed by evil parents, the economy is in a mess and Mr Duvall still has time for personal vendettas? I suggest he re-assesses his priorities otherwise he might find himself voted out at the next opportunity.
- St, London, 08/12/2008 13:11
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Labour had already politicised the Green affair before Boris intervened. Why cannot Labour actually accept that they lost the mayoral election? We can do without all the pompous windbaggery which is designed solely to deflect attention from Labour's increasingly ominous assaults on our liberties.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK, 08/12/2008 12:54
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This is just a smokescreen put out by the government to mask their incompetence over this whole affair.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland, 08/12/2008 12:40
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There seem to be all sorts of people who have potentially been incredibly stupid and the legality/illegality of the arrest/search; the innocence/guilt of Mr Green; the part played by the Speaker/Sergeant at Arms; etc all need to be looked into. However, none of the above gives Boris Johnson the right to interfere AGAIN in the work of the police - he is not above the law and the sooner he is reminded of this the better because next time his actions could be disasterous.
- Andy, London, 08/12/2008 12:24
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Mud slinging by bitter corrupt Labour cronies.
- Frank, Home Counties, England, 08/12/2008 12:10
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The Model Code and the Standards Board for England are both discredited. Labour introduced them in 2001 and both have done a great deal to undermine democracy. The Ken Livingston case resulted in a High Court judgement which highlighted just how this "Standards" regime has been operating contrary to commonsense and the law. Mr Duvall is bleatin jobsworthy, he should grow up. Boris Johnston has shown common sense in the way he responded to the assault by the police on our democracy.
- Mark Horn, Bourne, Lincolnshire, 08/12/2008 11:56
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Ken distanced himself from the MPA for fear of claims of a conflict of interest. This is staggeringly stupid by Boris, it seems every time he speaks without notes he puts his foot in it. But this is rather more serious, the head of the MPA declaring someone's innocence before the cops have done their job. I can see a suspension looming, which will make little difference since Boris has delegated decisions to people like the Westminster homes-for-votes scandal chap, Simon "asbestos" Milton.
- Dr Susan Porter, Bow, 08/12/2008 11:41
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What nonesense.
This 'enquiry' lost it's 'legality', credibility and 'evidence' the moment that ill-disciplined, gung-ho police breeched Green's Common's office without 'proper procedural' warranty.
The headless Met need to expeditiously sort out their [warrant account] differences with Brown's useless stooge, Speaker Martin, and tell us what really happened, if either party expect to ever regain public trust and confidence.
- Dave, cumbria, 08/12/2008 11:39
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Hello, Hello, is anyone out there?
This IS politics, this has always been about politics, how on earth can Boris be accused of politicising a political event. If any criticism is due it must be directed at the police for failing to tell the Home Office Perm Sec to bugger off as we are the police and we are rather busy at the moment and besides which we don't get involved in politics on which matter your complaint is based. The H.O.P.S also had the simple solution in his armory, sack the whistleblower, if he had the balls---me thinks he didn't
- Brian Hunwicks, Banus,Spain and glad to be a Conservative, 08/12/2008 11:30
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I have a hunch Mr Duvall is a pompous windbag. And is guilty of wasting public money with a frivolous 'complaint'.
- Rusty Shackleford, UK, 08/12/2008 11:28
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Yet another attempt by Labour fraudsters to distract attention away from the real issue surrounding the Green affair. That is the politicisation of the police service, the incompetence of those senior officers in charge and the equally incompetent Gorbals Mick as Speaker of the House. Boris is quite entitled to speak with his friend and colleague, on the phone or directly, as he has not been charged with any offence, nor is he likley to be charged. I'm sure Boris is savvy enough not to compromise his position, as chair of the MPA, and make any pronouncements about the ongoing enquiry.
- Pete, Croydon Uk, 08/12/2008 11:04
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