This is possibly the most offensive thing Ken Livingstone has said in years, yet who wants to bet that the Standards Board afficionados don’t make a complaint about it?
“In the same way that Trafalgar Square has had an interesting history, not always a peaceful one, there’s a very clear parallel.
“We’ve had some interesting riots in Trafalgar Square – I mean, only 20 years ago, the poll tax riots, and flames licking up.”
To be fair, he does go on to mention Peterloo, which is a more comparable example. But the Poll Tax riots were an example of how protest can actually effect change in an open society. The Tiananmen Square massacre was unfortunately, precisely that. Equating the two in any way is absurd and is to spit on the dead.
I really do wonder why Labour keeps him in the party. He’d be much better suited in Respect. Goes to show how the only thing they really value is winning elections.
“I really do wonder why Labour keeps him in the party.”
It’s worse than that – after kicking him out, they cynically let him back in when it was clear he was going to win again in 2004!