Labour choose 'Red Ken' as candidate for London mayor.

[clapham_gull]

Not to mention his weekly column he's had in the Standard which he now uses just to slag Johnson off every single f***ing week.

Slightly better than the Evening Standard simply slagging Ken off every week under the old owners.

 

[drew]

I agree sometimes wars cannot be won/lost and a negotiated peace (and behind the scenes) is the answer but as he was secretary of state for Northern Ireland Willie Whitelaw was in a position to negotatiate on Britains behalf.

What mandate apart from his own aganda or his own deluded ideas, did leader of the GLC Ken Livingstone have to invite over the very people whom were bombing and killing his fellow Londoners. Does Ken think he is in a position to negotiate a seperate peace for Londoners only and not the rest of Britain!

Are you for real? The city he represented was being bombed and you don't think he had a mandate or a right to try and stop the situation?

 

[Arthur]

What do you mena by 'in bed with terrorists'?

I remember the 80s and the IRA and the 'we wont dont talk to terrorists' stuff and the dubbing over of Gerry Adams voice by an actor (?). Did it work?

No.

What did work to bring about peace in Northern Ireland?

Negotiation.

Did Ken Livingstone ever say 'I support terrorists'

No.

Is there peace in Northern Ireland then??

Granted the mainland isn't getting bombed to smithereens any more. Still wouldn't call it very peaceful over there though!

Of course Livingstone didn't say he supported the IRA but he didn't say allot to denounce them and was more than happy to be very chummy with McGuinness and Adams when their colleagues were blowing the f*** out of the country.

Also as Simmo points out why was it his battle? Be a bit like sending Boris over to the Tora Bora caves for a spot of afternoon tea with Bin Laden!

 

[simmo]

Are you for real? The city he represented was being bombed and you don't think he had a mandate or a right to try and stop the situation?

Yeah righto, being leader of the GLC, Ken, was in the ultimate position in power in the UK and was in a position to negotiate any peaceful settlement of the conflict between the Britain and the IRA.

In any case I am off now so am not going to get into a debate, but you should realise this, Livingstone (and Galloway) does this with Islamic groups too, he is an arch appeaser of those groups that go against the very ideals of what most decent people want.

 

[bhaexpress]

And what role exactly did Ken have at Haringey, Hackney or Islington Councils?

Influence, did you live there ? I did.

 

[drew]

Yeah righto, being leader of the GLC, Ken, was in the ultimate position in power in the UK and was in a position to negotiate any peaceful settlement of the conflict between the Britain and the IRA.

In any case I am off now so am not going to get into a debate, but you should realise this, Livingstone (and Galloway) does this with Islamic groups too, he is an arch appeaser of those groups that go against the very ideals of what most decent people want.

Livingstone never claimed he solved the problem or that he was in the ultimate position of power so not sure where that came from. He was leader of the GLC which was the local authority for our capital city so that does carry some weight.

 

[Castello]

Yes, anybody who had the misfortune of living in one of the Loony Left boroughs like Haringay, Hackney or Lambeth.

It amazes me how people who dont even know how to spell the borough of Haringey think they know the local politics. I have lived in Haringey for 27 years, have been politically active both inside and outside of the Labour party, and you can rest assured it is far from looney left.

I voted for and donated money to Ken Livingstine when he stood as an independent the first time. A year before he was due to stand for re election he wrote to my wife and I asking for a further donation, claiming he needed it to stand against the party machines of the big two parties. 3 weeks after getting this letter he had been selected as the Labour party candidate, and subsequently re-elected.

This sums up the positive and negative side of Ken Livingstone. He is a maverick and prepared to speak out. This is why he is popular in London. He has also done a good job as Mayor. Certainly Public transport massively improved under him and has got worse and more expensive under Boris.

He is also extremely arrogant and no one loves him, or believes in his publicity quite as much as Ken himself does. This is the reason why he lost, he stopped listening to Londoners.

Having said that boris has said a lot got a lot of attention and actually done nothing since hes been Mayor. Any achievements that have happened were started under Ken Livingstones term. The essential problem is that boris is far more loyal to the central party than Ken ever was. This means Londons needs become second to those of central government. We can leave the debate on whether this is right to another time.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

However the rumours that the best way to get a well paid job in the GLC was to be a one legged, gay, afro Caribbean woman still hang around.

Didn't she have to be a recovering alcoholic as well ?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Is there peace in Northern Ireland then??

Granted the mainland isn't getting bombed to smithereens any more. Still wouldn't call it very peaceful over there though!

It's seemed fairly quiet and relaxed the last couple of times I've been there.

 

[bhaexpress]

It amazes me how people who dont even know how to spell the borough of Haringey think they know the local politics. I have lived in Haringey for 27 years, have been politically active both inside and outside of the Labour party, and you can rest assured it is far from looney left.

I voted for and donated money to Ken Livingstine when he stood as an independent the first time. A year before he was due to stand for re election he wrote to my wife and I asking for a further donation, claiming he needed it to stand against the party machines of the big two parties. 3 weeks after getting this letter he had been selected as the Labour party candidate, and subsequently re-elected.

This sums up the positive and negative side of Ken Livingstone. He is a maverick and prepared to speak out. This is why he is popular in London. He has also done a good job as Mayor. Certainly Public transport massively improved under him and has got worse and more expensive under Boris.

He is also extremely arrogant and no one loves him, or believes in his publicity quite as much as Ken himself does. This is the reason why he lost, he stopped listening to Londoners.

Having said that boris has said a lot got a lot of attention and actually done nothing since hes been Mayor. Any achievements that have happened were started under Ken Livingstones term. The essential problem is that boris is far more loyal to the central party than Ken ever was. This means Londons needs become second to those of central government. We can leave the debate on whether this is right to another time.

Yes but being a Labour party voter you would say that, in fact you were part of the problem. I never live in North London but I know plenty who did and they had some very uncomplimentary things to say about Labour councillors I'm no fan of Thatcher but dismantling the GLC was something she was quite right to do. Luckily I don't live in London now but the next mayor will be a clown, be it Boris, Ken or Lempik, we might as well be voting for the next president of the USA although for once they haven't got a clown.

 

[clapham_gull]

I don't live in London now but the next mayor will be a clown, be it Boris, Ken or Lempik, we might as well be voting for the next president of the USA although for once they haven't got a clown.

Don't you mean you ?

 

[Gwylan]

Influence, did you live there ? I did.

I never live in North London ...

Has Bhexpress been on the booze?

 

[Gwylan]

I voted for and donated money to Ken Livingstine when he stood as an independent the first time. A year before he was due to stand for re election he wrote to my wife and I asking for a further donation, claiming he needed it to stand against the party machines of the big two parties. 3 weeks after getting this letter he had been selected as the Labour party candidate, and subsequently re-elected.

This sums up the positive and negative side of Ken Livingstone. He is a maverick and prepared to speak out. This is why he is popular in London. He has also done a good job as Mayor. Certainly Public transport massively improved under him and has got worse and more expensive under Boris.

He is also extremely arrogant and no one loves him, or believes in his publicity quite as much as Ken himself does. This is the reason why he lost, he stopped listening to Londoners.

I think this is very fair assessment of Ken. I wonder if he learned the lessons from his defeat the last time round.

I certainly think that his record of not being part of the Labour inner circle helps him and the fact that he speaks his mind (nor is he, despite the soubriquet Red, an extreme left winger, he's not liked by the hard left, or what's left of them). Ken is Ken, a mixture of showman, self-publicist, political operator and professional Londoner.

He's right more often than wrong but does keep some unsavoury company. However, I do think he can unseat BJ

(I no longer live in London, my work's still based there and I did live there for 23 years - in fact I canvassed for Ken when he stood as an independent - so I think I can be allowed some comment)

 

[Dandyman]

It amazes me how people who dont even know how to spell the borough of Haringey think they know the local politics. I have lived in Haringey for 27 years, have been politically active both inside and outside of the Labour party, and you can rest assured it is far from looney left.

I voted for and donated money to Ken Livingstine when he stood as an independent the first time. A year before he was due to stand for re election he wrote to my wife and I asking for a further donation, claiming he needed it to stand against the party machines of the big two parties. 3 weeks after getting this letter he had been selected as the Labour party candidate, and subsequently re-elected.

This sums up the positive and negative side of Ken Livingstone. He is a maverick and prepared to speak out. This is why he is popular in London. He has also done a good job as Mayor. Certainly Public transport massively improved under him and has got worse and more expensive under Boris.

He is also extremely arrogant and no one loves him, or believes in his publicity quite as much as Ken himself does. This is the reason why he lost, he stopped listening to Londoners.

Having said that boris has said a lot got a lot of attention and actually done nothing since hes been Mayor. Any achievements that have happened were started under Ken Livingstones term. The essential problem is that boris is far more loyal to the central party than Ken ever was. This means Londons needs become second to those of central government. We can leave the debate on whether this is right to another time.

Sounds fair to me.

Incidently I live on "The Ladder" - what part of the Borough are you in?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I didn't think Livingstone was that red these days - more of a soft pink or magenta.

This is what I call proper reds

 

[Barrel of Fun]

It's seemed fairly quiet and relaxed the last couple of times I've been there.

BBC News - Irish terror attack a

 

[Castello]

Sounds fair to me.

Incidently I live on "The Ladder" - what part of the Borough are you in?

I live off Philip Lane, next to Broadwater Farm. My wife and I were looking to live on the Ladder when we brought a house together, but we couldnt afford it

Good to know theres a true football fan over there amongst all the Arsenal fans.

I think this is very fair assessment of Ken. I wonder if he learned the lessons from his defeat the last time round.

I certainly think that his record of not being part of the Labour inner circle helps him and the fact that he speaks his mind (nor is he, despite the soubriquet Red, an extreme left winger, he's not liked by the hard left, or what's left of them). Ken is Ken, a mixture of showman, self-publicist, political operator and professional Londoner.

He's right more often than wrong but does keep some unsavoury company. However, I do think he can unseat BJ

(I no longer live in London, my work's still based there and I did live there for 23 years - in fact I canvassed for Ken when he stood as an independent - so I think I can be allowed some comment)

I think this is my point about Ken. As a socialist myself, I cant trust him. Not because he's too left wing (which he isnt), or I disagree with his speeches, but because he'll betray his voters the moment it advances his career.

 

[Arthur]

It's seemed fairly quiet and relaxed the last couple of times I've been there.

That's probably because they knew how special you are that they thought they better be on their best behavior!



Right on cue: BBC News - Irish terror attack a

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Is there peace in Northern Ireland then??

According to most people there "yes" despite today's headlines, and certainly compared to what it was like twenty years ago.

 

[Gwylan]

I live off Philip Lane, next to Broadwater Farm. My wife and I were looking to live on the Ladder when we brought a house together, but we couldnt afford it

Know that area well - had a girlfriend who lived there. Quite liked the area - but it's a bit of a schlep from the tube.

I think this is my point about Ken. As a socialist myself, I cant trust him. Not because he's too left wing (which he isnt), or I disagree with his speeches, but because he'll betray his voters the moment it advances his career.

Yes. He does do some good things and has good ideas but, at the back of mind, I always think it's Ken first, voters second.