Ken Livingstone - more fiction

According to Paul Waugh at the Evening Standard Ken Livingstone is appealing to Lib Dem voters to put him as their second preference. As we know, second preference votes on 1st May could be crucial. However, Livingstone claims that in 2004

"he liked Simon Hughes so much that he recommended that Labour voters use their second preferences for the Libs."

There's a small problem with that - it isn't true. I attach here the actual advice that Ken Livingstone sent out in letters signed by him, to London postal voters. He said then "You have a second preference vote: you can cast this for another candidate or not use it". So, in fact, Livingstone preferred Simon Hughes as a second choice no more than Steve Norris, nor even the BNP candidate. I keep meticulous records of previous elections - every now and then, they come in very useful.

Comments

[Henry]

Now that the Electoral Commission have reviewed Ken's election returns, maybe Mr Hands should apologise to him for his outrageous & cheap slurs.

Of course that's not his way. He's onto some other silly accusation.

[Alan]

This evidence that you have provided does not in any way prove that Ken did not recommend that Labour voters use their second preference vote for Simon Hughes - it just means he didn't recommend it in the specific advice you have presented. While it may be true that his recommendation may have been much more low-key than his recommendation to vote Green as second preference - so what?