Ed Howker

Labour caves to divisive Livingstone

If I was a member of the Labour party I would be feeling pretty uneasy this afternoon as news of Ken Livingstone’s victory in the mayoral candidates battle sinks in.

There is a cold reality about cuddly uncle Ken which deserves serious examination: he is a ruthless political operative who will sell out everyone, including his own party, to win.

But Ken is not just a divisive figure, he was also a sinister Mayor, presiding over an wildly dysfunctional London Development Agency, controlling policy for London through a cabal of advisers calling themselves ‘Socialist Action’ and getting chummy with divisive and radical islamists including Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

In the build up to the 2008 election, his mask of plain-spoken decency began to lift which, at the time, alarmed several cabinet ministers. Now Labour have entered opposition, their memories seem to have been wiped.

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