The police have decided that Ken Livingstone's suspended race advisor Lee Jasper hasn't committed a criminal offence. The politically motivated campaign against Jasper and Livingstone by Associated Newspapers and the London Evening Standard has been brutal. Trawling thisislondon and dailymail.co.uk I see no mention of this. So far this "scandal" has only been written about by BBC, The Guardian and a couple of local papers.
I'm sure there will be a response from Gilligan and the Standard but as yet, they haven't published one. Not that surprising really when one considers this is hardly the news they will have wanted and likely to be exactly the news Livingstone expected when he asked the police to investigate.
There is a bit more buzz on the blogosphere. Laughably the "Battle for Britain" now claims the police are corrupt for convicting Nick Griffin on "lesser charges" than Jasper. Author Philip Bryant does describbe himself as a "nationalist nutter" though. Some more balanced and journalistic reoprting is found on Mayor Watch, while Lib Dem Voice thinks that Livingstone was possibly wrong to ask th epolice to investigate in the first place if there was nothing to answer for. I think that is a little naive considering the mealstrom that built up.
Next up for Jasper, complaints that despite his job being politically restricted, that he told The voice newspaper that he was backing Ken for Mayor. Does that count as campaigning? It shouldn't really surprise anyone that he would say this when he owes his position to his boss, Ken.
5 comments:
Tim, I would just like to add that it is quite clear that the charge of ‘a tide of corruption’ made by Richard Barnes on 13 December is a criminal allegation. He should either present evidence to the police for it immediately or formally withdraw it and apologise.
Thank you. I agree that Barnes needs to put up or shut up. So far nobody has found anything as serious as the slanderous allegations that have been put forward. Again, to me, this all seems frightfully politically motivated.
Much of the media had been giving Labour an easier ride and now have reared again, now they feel the Tories are stonger and worth backing.
In order for the Mayor, Ken Livingstone to prove to Londoners that Lee Jasper did not interfere with funding decisions to organisations/businesses run by Jasper's close personal friends and associates. Ken Livingstone should answer his critics (as detailed on BBC London, BBC Radio 4, the Telegraph and the Evening Standard) and either confirm or disagree with the following:-
a) The owner of Diversity International is a long time friend of Lee Jasper and a Board Director of the 1990 Trust
b) Lee Jasper is involved in the day to day management of the 1990 Trust directing its work and operations from City Hall, hence the attack on Labour's Trevor Phillips to stop him getting the job as the Chair of the new CEHR.
c) Lee Jasper is a long time friend of Errol Walters
d) Lee Jasper influenced the appointment of Errol Walters as the 'Interim Director' of the Black Londoners Forum despite his lack of qualifications for the post.
e) Two years have passed since the appointment of Errol Walters to the position of 'Interim Director', yet despite City Hall funding no recruitment has been undertaken to fill the post on a permanent basis, giving Errol Walters a free ride.
f) Lee Jasper intervened in the LDA funding of Brixton Base also run by Errol Walters from funding failure to funding success despite there being existing long established organisations in the Balck community engaged in work with young people, music and the creative industries whom were better placed to deliver and could have been given the opportunity to compete for the contract instead.
g) Lee Jasper is the Company Secretary of the African Caribbean Positive Image Foundation (ACPIF) a business he set up with two others to put on an awards event in order to compete with already established and experienced Black Awards events.
h) ACPIF lost money in its first year of operation and in order to fill this debt, ACPIF acquired a loan from 'Ethnic Mutual' a loan bank funded by the LDA and the DTI to help business to grow and develop. ACPIF 'falsely' acquired funds from 'Ethnic Mutual' to fill its £18,000 debt and then according to company's house ACPIF in 2007 closed down with Lee Jasper still as its Company Secretary.
i) Ken Livingstone was critical of Atma Singh, a former mayoral advisor for running a business whilst an employee, yet what action is taken of Lee Jasper who too was running a business (ACPIF) while being an employee.
Lee Jasper has been accused of breaking the rules not breaking the law, thus why doesn't Ken Livingstone refer the whole matter to the District Auditor to be properly independently investigated. The police have no remit to investigate public officials who break the rules. Is Ken alleging that a crime may have been committed?
As yet, no allegations have been put that Lee Jasper committed a crime, so why put up the police as a smoke screen.
Lee Jasper does not act as a bridge to the Black community, more a gatekeeper – he is interested in anything that gives him a media profile and including getting his picture in every available Black publication.
Finally, given that Lee Jasper has been suspended, why is he being allowed to give a series of press interviews on his full City Hall salary of £121,000.
Ken Livingstone should be reelected as Mayor of London, but Lee Jasper is a total embarrasment to his reelection success
Are you proud of what Labour has done to this country? how can you be proud to be a part of Labour? the most corrupt government I have ever known in the whole of my entire life I am disgusted by Labour. It's as though everyday they wonder what can we do know to f*** with the people of Britain. What is their game?
The latest one is severing historic ties to tens of thousands of Commonwealth nationals who have an automatic right through descent to live and work here.
What is their game? is it to cut us off completely for something more sinister?
I ask you again, how can you be proud?
Thanks for saying I inspired you to write back in 2006!
Shaun Attwood of jonsjailjournal
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