Cameron: Ken Livingstone has dismissed and insulted Britain's Jews

Last night speaking to the Community Security Trust, David Cameron launched a very strong attack on Ken Livingstone:

"In the 1980s he invited IRA apologists to County Hall.

Today he not only plays host to Qaradawi but publicly embraces him.

And through all of this his attitude to British Jews has bordered on the dismissive and insulting.

He’s not a minor politician.

In fact, he is a rather powerful one.

He is the mayor of this great city.

And I hope that on May 1st people of all parties and none.

Of all faiths and none.

People who always vote and those who never vote.

Will rise up as one, go to the polling station and throw Ken Livingstone out of office."

The remarks came at the end of a speech on extremism, terror and state multiculturalism - summarised here.

Comments

[Marjorie Treves]

"In the 1980s he invited IRA apologists to County Hall.

This line is a bit rich. We all did a deal with the IRA! Martin Mcguinness is now Deputy 1st Minister

Even when Margaret was PM we were secretly negotiating with the IRA, when publicly saying "we don't do deals with terrorists"

One word - Hypocracy - enough said!

[Uncle Bulgaria]

Nothing on Dirk Hazells's attack on Boris and his recruitment to the Paddick campaign? When a former Conservative London Area chairman, albeit a Wet, defects to the Lib Dems, that is big news.

[powellite]

"One word - Hypocracy - enough said!"

I think the word you're looking for is 'hypocrisy', actually - so that's two words

[london conservative]

"When a former Conservative London Area chairman, albeit a Wet, defects to the Lib Dems, that is big news."

He was one of the most important people in the London party, and articulated a view about our Mayoral candidate, that is shared by plenty of others in the London Area party.

Also, I'm not sure David Cameron can claim the moral high ground here since, thanks to him, we have a candidate who talks about "picanninies" and "watermelon smiles" and who is happy to associate with the odious convicted fraudster Darius Guppy and not call the police to inform them that Guppy was conspiring to assualt someone.

[Tony Makara]

Our London mayor is a fantazyor! His days definitely look numbered. London needs Boris!

[Sean Fear]

Why does someone who calls himself a "London Conservative" always pop up here to attack the Conservative candidate for Mayor? I think we can guess the answer.

Marjorie, whatever one thinks of the Belfast Agreement, most UK politicians did not act as aplogists for Sinn Fein in Eighties, when the IRA was killing Londoners. There is no hypocrisy here.

[london conservative]

"Why does someone who calls himself a "London Conservative" always pop up here to attack the Conservative candidate for Mayor?"

Because I didn't want him to be our party's candidate! It's not acceptable to have someone who uses that sort of language and who isn't qualified for the job. As Dirk Hazell has said today, that's a step back in terms of our candidate in this election.

[Uncle Bulgaria]

Isnlt everyone forgetting that Dave approached Greg Dyke to be a joint LD-Tory candidate? Paddick also says that he was approached by CCHQ. Boris was only alternative to the ridiculous Borwick, Lightfoot and Boff. The Conservatives should have been able to field a decent candidate. They have let London down.

[Sean Fear]

But he is our candidate, with the overwhelming backing of the London party. So, if you are who you claim to be, support him or keep quiet.

[london conservative]

I don't know what is worse. The fact that we have a candidate who is not qualified for the job or the fact that so many of our party workers don't know this or don't care.

[David McEwan Hill]

And the abominably punctuated piece that started this topic is an insult to all who are half educated.
The candidature of Boris is a joke and an insult to serious thinking people.
Who's idea was it?
It's enough to derail the Tory bandwagon for the next election.

[Uncle Bulgaria]

Perhaps Sean Fear could address the points made by "london conservative" and myself. Would Sean have campaigned for Greg Dyke if Cameron has succeeded in imposing him as joint LD-Tory candidate? This is a political party not a masonic lodge.

[Sally Roberts]

"we have a candidate who talks about "picanninies" and "watermelon smiles"

London Conservative, do you not realise that Boris was being ironic when he made those comments - not racist! The point about this topic is that Ken IS dismissive of and almost insulting to London's Jewish Community (of which I am a member)! It is as if he has the attitude (shared by quite a number of people on the hard left) that the Jews somehow "don't count" as an ethnic minority and so it is not necessary to treat them as one would any other ethnic community! The Jewish Community has become like the "Posh" and the Fat - it is somehow OK to be nasty to them and/or make fun of them!!

[Sean Fear]

Uncle Bulgaria, I wasn't aware that you or London Conservative had made any points that needed to be addressed.

I hope you're not both working for Ken during office hours. That would be an abuse of council tax payers' money.

[Uncle Bulgaria]

Sean, I am a Conservative member who works in the private sector. Your attempt at a smear is as pathetic as your ex-GLYC masonic chums in Surrey. Do support Boris's use of "picaninnies" and "water melon smiles"? Unlike Sally, I think that Boris is a racist toff rather than ironic.

[john]

The Labour trolls are busy tonight. How do they feel about Lee Jasper's demise?

[True Labour]

Any true Labour supporter must be jumping for joy, that this drunk, anti-semitic cretin, Livingslime is going to get booted out, by any candidate, as he shames and embarasses the Party, and indeed, humanity. Or perhaps, Uncle Bulgaria, London Conservative et al, it is just easy for someone to make up a phoney user name and supposed political position, to try and seem credible in their pathetic trolling!!!
I suspect the dim-witted Press-Officers from the Mayor's Office, who pop-up on here, when Kenny gets a mention, will be looking for a new job shortly after May 1st.

[Malcolm Dunn]

Not sure how the Labour trolls feel but I feel quite good! Well done Andrew Gilligan.
Lee Jasper must be the first person ever who has done nothing wrong to refuse to sue his media accusers and then resign his position for no reason. I did think he was made of slightly sterner stuff.
Statement from the GLA was pretty nauseating though, who are they trying to kid?

[Pamela Goodwin]

Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick today received a major boost to his campaign as the previous Chairman of the London Conservative Party resigned to join the Liberal Democrats.

Dirk Hazell, whose tenure as Chairman saw the greatest electoral success for the party in London, said the Tories could not be trusted to deliver freedom, justice, or probity:

“London needs real change. Not the ‘Norris to Boris’ downgrade but a Mayor with insight and experience from a vocation protecting law-abiding Londoners: Brian Paddick.

“I left the Tories because they are as dodgy as Labour, because their environmental pretensions are phoney and because their Europhobia harms Britain.

[Richard Carey]

Uncle Bulgaria, I wasn't aware that you or London Conservative had made any points that needed to be addressed.

Sean - you have as usual made a wise choice. If I've learnt anything in politics, it's this: "Never engage the Womble"...

[london conservative]

"London Conservative, do you not realise that Boris was being ironic when he made those comments - not racist!"

Ken Livingstone is often obnoxiously rude and offensive--often when he is, as Private Eye likes to say, "tired and emotional." I only have to say the words "push" and "stairs" to remind everyone of one such incident. His behaviour is inexcusable.

That said, I wonder if Boris Johnson doesn't bring out the worse in some of our supporters: the kind who weren't happy with having a candidate in 2000 and 2004 who wanted to talk, out of personal conviction, of his belief in equality for every Londoner and his refusal to use terms that demean or attempt to stigmatize minority ethnic and other groups whom some in our party haven't shown very much respect.

The Standard reporter incident was an example of Livingstone being obnoxious and offensive. But the comment itself is not in fact anti-semitic. It's a bit hysterical to pretend otherwise. And it's a bit sad to stubbornly refuse to see why it is not acceptable for our party's representatives to use words like "picanninies," as Boris Johnson has done in private and in public.

If he had thought then that he might be running in this election, I'm sure he would have thought twice before saying it. But at least he understands why it is politically stupid even if he (wrongly) perhaps (still?)doesn't think it's wrong to describe people using such insulting language. What exactly is the excuse of party activists who don't even know that it is electorally stupid in a city as diverse as this one?

There are times when it isn't hard to figure out why we haven't won a general election, or London, in 16 years.

[Jeremy]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1204213983825&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

David Cameron could have been a lot more explicit at the CST Dinner about Livingstone's antisemitism. At the Evening Standard Debate last week, Livingstone repeated his view that Israel should not have been created. That is an antisemitic comment (see EUMC Definition). He then tried to justify it by a disgraceful lie about the former Chief Rabbi Lord Jacobovits. He said that Jacobovits had said in the Evening Standard that Israel should not have been created. Lord J said no such thing. Livingstone was lying. He does it with such a straight face - practice I guess.

After tonight's revelations about Lee Jasper, Livingstone is out anyway. Good riddance. Go Boris!

[John Lewis]

Hypocracy, if used to describe our dear Mr Livingstone - The rule of the lowest of the low - could be quite an apt Greco-Freudian Slip.

[Don't call me Dave]

Three good reasons to vote for Boris.

1. He's not Livingstone

2. Er....

3. That's it!