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London's Mayor

Saturday, 9th June 2007

This is what the Guardian describes as Ken Livingstone being "in fine form":

What, I wonder, did he learn from the Finegold episode? "That you've got to stand up to reporters - particularly reporters in league with the Tory party and the Evening Standard, and the Board Of Deputies [of British Jews] who are trying force you into an apology." No regrets at all, then? "No. Because the moment I allow newspaper editors to determine my behaviour, I'm no longer any use to Londoners. Every now and then you hit something, and they ratchet up the pain to intolerable levels. But the moment you give in, they'll find your breaking point, and they'll go straight for it every time in the future.

"Finegold is by no means the worst, but when you're dealing with reporters, sometimes the things they say to you would send almost anybody into a violent rage. I've had people say to me, 'Do you have to pay £5 when you enter your partner to make her pregnant?' That was Virgin Radio, outside my house, just before the congestion charge came in. That kind of thing is said simply so you'll smash them in the mouth."

And this what the Mayor of London was actually asked by Mr Fingegold:

How did tonight go?

In fact, here's the complete 'conversation' between them:

Oliver Finegold: "Mr Livingstone, Evening Standard. How did it ..."

Ken Livingstone: "Oh, how awful for you."

Finegold: "How did tonight go?"

Livingstone: "Have you thought of having treatment?"

Finegold: "How did tonight go?"

Livingstone: "Have you thought of having treatment?"

Finegold: "Was it a good party? What does it mean for you?"

Livingstone: "What did you do before? Were you a German war criminal?"

Finegold: "No, I'm Jewish. I wasn't a German war criminal."

Livingstone: "Ah ... right."

Finegold: "I'm actually quite offended by that. So, how did tonight go?"

Our city is shamed by its Mayor.

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Joshua

June 9th, 2007 10:49am

Following that last question by Finegold, Livingstone answered as follows: "Well you might be, but actually you are just like a concentration camp guard. You're just doing it 'cause you're paid to, aren't you?" What offends me most about this gentile guttersnipe here is that he attempts to appropriate for himself the greatest tragedy in Jewish history. It is our brothers and sisters who were cut down by the million and not Livingstone's. Indeed, his brothers and sisters effectively collaborated in this genocide. Livingstone has no more right to Jewish victimhood than Karl Lueger, the infamous anti-Semitic mayor of Vienna. Over the last week I have been on the phone for many hours a day urging an American Jewish boycott of Britain. In making my case that Britain deserves this boycott, Livingstone heads the list of topics. What is truly disgusting, I tell them, is not that Livingstone makes these vile comments but that Londoners voted for him and newspapers like the Guardian have defended him.

Dane

June 9th, 2007 7:28pm

'Our city is shamed by its Mayor.' But enough Londoners are happy enough with him, obviously, otherwise he wouldn't be Mayor. Of course he's an odious twat, but he must represent an even greater number of odious twats.

Jeremy Jacobs

June 10th, 2007 9:43am

"odiuos twats" - great. I'd like to correct Stephen on the use of the term city. There is no such thing, of course, as the city of Livingstone's London.