Monsters *

Well, jim has got a bit angry about it (calm down, jim, it's not that important. I'll send off angry missives about many things, but not about this one!), while Jane merely poses a question (albeit, an interesting one). Here's what I want to say about this story.

Ken Livingstone's days as a "socialist" (yes, I know we can have a debate about what that means) are long gone. His most desired wish these days, as he told one staff association's national executive committee late last year, is to "smash the unions" on the London Underground, with support from said staff association. Some of you may agree with him, but, of course, like him, you are not a socialist!

Ken Livingstone once attempted to undermine a strike I was involved in - six weeks solid out on the cobbles, I may add - by putting down an early day motion in parliament stating that the person we were on strike for in defence of his job was an anti-semite who had shared a platform with a holocaust denier. Now there's irony in that little one, but only to say that this particular early day motion had the support of one MP - the said Mr Livingstone! I could mention that the EDM supporting the aims of the strikers was supported by a few dozen MPs, including one Tory if my memory serves me right, but I won't bother. This issue, not the strike itself, all came in the aftermath of the split in the anti-racist movement in the mid-90s. Remember, this was a time when the victims and families of victims of racist attacks were being ignored while certain sections of the so-called left fought out their sectarian games.

Anyway, back to Livingstone - and that stuff above is me going off on wild tangent by the way.

Is it anti-semitic to describe a journalist, whether jewish or not, doorstepping departing guests at a party as a concentration camp guard because of who pays his wages? I'm not sure, but consider this quote:

"He later refused to apologise, noting that the Standard's sister paper, the Daily Mail, had supported the Nazis in the 1930s."

Consider when remembering, if you ever knew, who was restaurant critic of the Evening Standard for around two years in the late 90s - Mr Livingstone, you can presume. This was the same paper that also employed the mother of his child, until he employed her in the mayoral office in London. So it's okay for Livingstone and partner to get paid by the Standard, but no-one else!

I also like to consider the little vignette told to me by a friend the other day - and I've no reason to doubt him, by the way. He has been told independently by two former comrades in Livingstone's personal fan club the Socialist Alliance in the last few weeks at seperate events that "we cannot underestimate the influence of Mossad" in the investigation into the Mayor's conduct. Right, okay, the complaints to the tossers making the inquiry into the Mayor didn't come from the Standard or from the so-called journalist involved, but rather from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, but these comments smack a bit of a "world Jewish conspiracy."

So, there we go. Livingstone is a wanker - but he's Londoners' wanker and it is up to us whether or not he should be kicked out of office or not. Even the head of the standards board thinks the process was rather strange!

The Evening Standard is a pile of crap and is only worth buying when ... err, actually, it never is worth buying!

Put it all together and what do you have? Another crap post from Reidski!!

* Sons and Daughters