Who needs an Opposition, with Friends like these?

Who needs an Opposition, with Friends like these?

A recent Channel 4 Dispatches TV program which was presented by Martin Bright, in relation to London’s left-wing Mayor Ken Livingstone, has opened more controversy.

On the same day, the London Evening Standard published an article which called on all Londoners with a progressive bone in their bodies not to vote for Ken Livingstone in the forthcoming mayoral elections. The full statement read, “I now believe Ken Livingstone is a disgrace to his office and not fit to be Mayor of London. Any Londoner with a progressive bone in his or her body should not consider voting for him in the forthcoming mayoral elections. Black, white or Asian, gay or straight, Muslim, Christian or none of the above: this is not a man who deserves your support. Writing as the political editor of Britain's leading Left-leaning magazine, I believe the time has come for the Labour Party to drop him as its candidate.”

Now this is not just a lone voice in the wilderness.

Despite Livingstone being an official Labour candidate only a quarter of London Labour MPs endorsed him. Many are obviously more than reluctant.

Kate Hoey, the Labour MP for Vauxhall, says of the misuse of London Development Agency Grants: "The Mayor has been consistently misleading the public over the status of this review. It was not independent and it did not clear Lee Jasper or the LDA. People need to wake up about what is happening."

Nick Raynsford, the Labour MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, has criticised the Government for giving Livingstone planning powers for giving developers a "perverse incentive" to propose eyesores given Livingstone enthusiasm for tall buildings. Raynsford has also been critical of Livingstone adopting his own foreign policy.

Frank Dobson, the Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras who once stood against Livingstone, says of him: "The better you know him the less you trust him."

Stephen Pound, the Labour MP for Ealing North, said of Livingstone's response to allegations of involvement in a drunken brawl at a party resulting in Robin Hedges being pushed down into basement: "The old Ken would have stood up and said 'it's a fair cop', or else that he didn't do anything. For him to wriggle like this is un-Kenlike.

Keith Hill, is the Labour MP for Streatham. When he was Minister of London and Livingstone was Mayor, Hill said of Livingstone: "He appears to be confused when it comes down to matters of detail."

Margaret Hodge, Labour MP for Barking, might not have been invited to sign. Livingstone vehemently denounced her proposal to giving British citizens prefernce in allocation of social housing to economic migrants.

Ann Keen, Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth, doesn't even think Livingstone should be a Labour Party member. In 2003 she said of the decision to reinstate him as a member: “We should not be so cynical as to take Livingstone back."

Tony McNulty, Labour MP for Harrow East, has described Livingstone as "bloody stupid." He added that Livingstone behaviour on securing funding for Crossrail "was not terribly helpful."

Meg Hillier, Labour MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, has, among other things, criticised Livingstone for allowing LDA spending of a staggering £140,000 on a drinks party. She felt it was "ridiculously expensive".

Mike Gapes, Labour MP for Ilford South, is critical of Livingstone using his platform as Mayor of London to attack Israel. Gapes feels it's "not helpful to community relations in our city. It is wrong for the Mayor of London to take such an unbalanced view of a conflict issue."

Guess with friends and supporters like these, who needs an opposition!