Is Ken done for?

Last night, during their television debate, all four London Mayoral candidates declared they would fully disclose their tax returns. This morning, Boris, Brian Paddick and Jenny Jones have duly done so — but Ken? Nothing so far. The Labour team has put out an unpersuasive statement explaining his silence:  

‘We believe household publication is necessary for full disclosure as the question of Ken’s income and his wife’s income and their tax has been central the coverage of this issue. Publication of Ken’s returns alone will not address many of the questions that have been raised. The only way to answer all the questions about this issue and to move the debate on the real issues facing London is for full household income disclosure. This should apply to all the candidates equally to avoid any further questions about the income and tax affairs that may or may not be applicable to them through their households. The same principles need to be applied to all the candidates if this process is to be seen as open and fair.’

For what it’s worth, Boris paid 45.1 per cent of his income in tax in 2010/2011, which has risen from 36.8 per cent in 2009/10.  Ken’s delay in responding has already got people wondering whether he has something to hide. If what emerges doesn’t match up well against Boris, then this surely has the potential to damage Ken’s campaign irreprably.