Yesterday Ken Livingstone found himself at the centre of a media storm after he suggested that Kevan Jones — a Labour MP with a history of depression — required psychiatric help, after he dared to question Livingstone’s appointment as co-chair on Labour’s defence policy review.
As Jones — along with Jeremy Corbyn — called on Livingstone to apologise, a series of media appearances followed where he did no such thing. At first he said Jones should ‘get over it’, later explaining he was just standing up for himself as any self-respecting south London lad would. Eventually a grovelling statement appeared on Livingstone’s Twitter account where he apologised ‘unreservedly’.
So whichever brain at Labour HQ decided it was a good idea to send Livingstone to do more media that evening, may need to do some soul-searching today. Livingstone appeared on Newsnight where he appeared to cast doubt on his Twitter apology:
EM: Kevan Jones says you should apologise to all sufferers of mental health who you have offended, would you like to do that here?
KL: Well, if anyone’s offended I’m very sorry, but let’s be quite clear
EM: Wait a sec, does that mean it’s their fault for being offended, or that you’re genuinely sorry you offended them?
KL: If anyone’s offended, I’m very sorry about that, but the reality is he started this row
EM: Sorry is that an apology?
KL: Yes, it’s an apology
EM: It’s a very odd type of phrase, are you apologising to Kevan Jones?
KL: If anyone’s upset, I’m sorry about that but I didn’t start this row, I woke up this morning to find a Labour MP denouncing me in this role
With that non-apology back on the table, Livingstone moved on to annoying his defence council co-chair Maria Eagle, who found out through Twitter that Livingstone had been appointed as her co-chair, by calling her ‘very silly’:
KL: I did not do any Twitter about this. I assumed Maria Eagle had been told but the reality is Maria and me go back to 1981, she invited me to come and talk to her student Labour club.
EM: But she said today it feels like the shadow defence secretary has got an older man in to mark her homework. That’s excruciating isn’t it?
KL: Well if she said that, she’s being very silly. because the reality is if you’re going to have a policy review you need someone who represents that commitment to Trident and someone who’s always been dubious about it.
Perhaps it is time for Ken to stop answering the phone when it comes to media requests.
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