Not so cuddly Ken
Granted, Ken Livingstone has been provoked enough by
the Evening Standard. Support him in the last Mayoral
election they may well have done, but they've goaded
him and prodded him alongside the sister paper, the
Daily Mail, before and since.
Nevertheless, he's a seasoned politician and ought to be able to handle questioning - no matter where it happens - politely and without recourse to anything that could be perceived as antisemitic. (No, I'm not Jewish, for the record, and yes, I'm aware that concentration camps aren't exclusive to Nazi history - but he'd also mentioned German prisoners of war, so we all know what connotations to read into his statements).
He should at least apologise for that. I'm quite happy for him to continue and find an alternative, entirely personal but neutral in terms of faith and race, insult for the journalist in question. He appears reluctant to do so.
Odd for someone supposed to represent the whole of London, and regrettable from someone who on most other issues and occasions has my support.
Nevertheless, he's a seasoned politician and ought to be able to handle questioning - no matter where it happens - politely and without recourse to anything that could be perceived as antisemitic. (No, I'm not Jewish, for the record, and yes, I'm aware that concentration camps aren't exclusive to Nazi history - but he'd also mentioned German prisoners of war, so we all know what connotations to read into his statements).
He should at least apologise for that. I'm quite happy for him to continue and find an alternative, entirely personal but neutral in terms of faith and race, insult for the journalist in question. He appears reluctant to do so.
Odd for someone supposed to represent the whole of London, and regrettable from someone who on most other issues and occasions has my support.
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