March 28, 2006
What it takes to succeed as a politician in Europe
Ken Livingstone's jibe that the US ambassador was like a "chiselling little crook" for avoiding the congestion charge landed him in further political trouble today as he was reported to the standards board.The London mayor is currently appealing against an existing ruling from the local government watchdog for likening a Jewish reporter to a concentration camp guard.
Personally, I'm not for 'standards boards', I think the standard board should be the voters though I have zero confidence that the European voter would find anything objectionable about what 'Red Ken' has to say. The tax in question is a local tax, making foreign diplomats exempt from paying it, but who cares? If he can make a jab at America, and specifically President Bush, then Red Ken is the man. And, of course, he can:
The mayor said: "Since this new ambassador took over in July they have not paid."When British troops are putting their lives on the line for American foreign policy it would be quite nice if they paid the congestion charge.
"We will find a way of getting them into court either here or in America. We are not going to have them skive out of their responsibilities.
"This new ambassador is a car salesman and an ally of President Bush. This is clearly a political decision."
And calling Jews Nazis? Bonus!
Technorati Tags: Ken+Livingston Red+Ken Mayor+Of+London
You seem to have gone off the subject of Paris burning now that the Muslims aren't doing the demonstrating....in the last two week the whole of France has been protesting about new labour laws which look like they are unfair to younger workers.
As to Ken, Thatcher abolished the councils her party set up to get rid of him (but he became an MP). London has always supported him and his so-called 'loony-left' colleagues, so they can't have been doing that bad a job. Certainly transport was a great deal cheaper when he oversaw transport.
As to the Congestion charge, it's a nescessary evil, but the diplomats should not have to pay.
In the US, does a diplomatic car get through toll-gates for free? I'm just wondering (I suppose they must do).
Update: Diplomats in the USA all have to pay to use toll bridges, etc, and last year Michael Bloomberg threatened to impound the cars of Un diplomats. The Congestion Charge, far from being a tax, is a toll on the roads of London for using them at certain points in the day. I believe there has been some publicity in the US saying this charge should be paid.
Posted by: bryan at April 1, 2006 01:43 PM
