London’s mayor will face a disciplinary hearing for his comments comparing a Jewish reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard:
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone could be banned from office for up to five years for likening an Evening Standard reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard if he is found guilty by an independent panel.
Livingstone will have to attend a disciplinary hearing, which will decide whether he is guilty of failing to treat others with respect, or bringing his office into disrepute.
The decision to refer the dispute for adjudication was announced by local government watchdog the Standards Board for England, which said yesterday that it had “concluded that the issue should now be considered at a hearing held by the independent Adjudication Panel for England”.
The panel, whose members are appointed by the lord chancellor Lord Falconer, has the power to ban people from office and to instruct those brought before it to make an apology. A public hearing is expected to take place this December, during which Livingstone has the right to bring in his own legal team.
(Via Lynn).
Update: I should probably mention that I’m generally uncomfortable with hate speech laws even where there is clear evidence of real antisemitism (see my postings on David Ahenakew, for example), and that arguably Livingstone’s comments were just idiotic, not necessarily evidence of the kind of virulent antisemitism that someone like Ahenakew displays. Furthermore, I don’t really agree with the idea of forcibly removing someone from office for making hateful comments. Theoretically, if someone holds and spews such views openly, and the people vote for him anyway, then those people are getting exactly the leadership that they deserve. Such is democracy.
Anyway, I’m fairly sure that all the panel will do is possibly censure him or force an apology. But I’m concerned of what message about freedom of speech it will send if they impose harsher penalties – and about what message about antisemitism it will send if they find him not guilty.
It’s not entirely a lose-lose situation, though; the panel is evidence that the British government is taking antisemitism seriously, and holding elected officials to a higher standard. And, in the publicity this is sure to generate, at least more people will see Ken Livingstone’s true colours. Maybe it will affect their behaviour next time they go to the polls, and they’ll kick him out on his arse and vote in someone more worthy.
I was wondering when you’d bring this one up. There was an interesting debate in Haaretz about it with people divided on the issue of whether or not the comments were antisemitic, although most thought they were not. Disrespectful, undoubtedly, but antisemitic? What do you think? (I don’t have an opinion on it, the whole conversation is never published and we have to put bits and pices together.)
Speaking of hate speech and how it does lead to violence.You can come to the conclusion that these small amounts of incitement can and will lead to huge acts of terror.One such act that comes to mind is the Beslan school massacre where islamic war criminal terrorists butchered 331 innocent people, mostly defenceless women and children, exactly one year ago today.But hey, I’m sure ‘red ken’ and his fellow tool ‘gorgeou$ georgie’ would probably label that act ‘a defensive move’
Ooooh…Kenny’s gonna get disciplined; the Brits do sooo love ‘discipline’!
http://www.britishspanking.com/
Cliff, it would seem that the people present at Beslen have some questions as to who killed the most hostages, the chechen terrorists or the Russian government forces.
Oy,h,Did you see what you wrote?
Quite the little mis-direction there eh? Using the same insane excuse that your jihadist brothers employ. ‘The victims brought it on themselves, they only have themselves to blame’ Wow,only you can figure out a way to blame the innocent victims of a war crime they never did commit, and then find a way to defend the indefensible.It’s the same inhumane logic you jihadists types like to apply for the Israeli situation,911, Britain, Spain and so on.
Correct me if I’m wrong here, but the islamic terrorists started this mess, didn’t they? So why are you pointing the finger of blame at the Russians soldiers, who BTW are trained to fight in combat situations,not in hostage situations where the brave terrorists are using women and children and babies to hide behind and as bait? Hey,isn’t that the same technique your jihadist brethern use in Israel too? What brave jihadi supermen they are too. It’s not like the Russians wanted this outcome, which is quite unlike those brave jihadists who did everything possible to maximize the death toll.Think about it,the jihadists should have attacked some military target instead of a children’s grade school.Your shallowness seeps through you like evil H.Lest you also forget that your kind happy brave heroic jihadist terrorists withheld the basic necessities of life from their innocent defenceless hostages, like water, food and sleep.They did this to children and babies no less.What amazing heros of your cause that you defend h.Hey where you in the protest to your cherished UN,demanding that the brave and generous islamists treat the innocent women, children and babies hostages with dignity and respect? Nada.Let’s contrast that to the outcry your side voiced over some US prison guards in Iraq making some super racist jihadist child killers wear womens underwear.Now that’s inhumane cruelty ain’t it? The jihadist creeps are getting their food, water and koran, but being forced to wear undies?…That must be a cruel Zionist trick designed to weaken the jihadist super human ideal of the freedom fighter.Got any more good excuses for your jihadist heros,H?… PLONK!