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Original poster

Last year Ken Livingstone earned £238,646. He paid £34,661 in tax.

75 replies

longfingernails · 05/04/2012 22:39

That is 14.5%. Defend that, socialists.

He is also the only one of the Newsnight debate candidates to refuse publishing his entire tax return.

Defend that, socialists.

OP posts:
LineRunner · 05/04/2012 23:08

I think the Tooting Popular Front had a manifesto.

doctordwt · 05/04/2012 23:10

Grin mercibucket

Yes LFN so sorry that your beloved Ken has let you down.

Original poster
longfingernails · 05/04/2012 23:12

mercibucket Some Tory politicians have principles (thankfully); some Labour politicians have principles (though they are wrong about those). I agree there are too few of them (on both sides).

None of Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson, David Cameron or Ed Miliband fall into the principled categories.

Of those four, though, I would say that Ken is the only really personally nasty politician. Cameron is full of PR fluff, Miliband is a weird nonentity, and Boris is far too vain (and far too Lib Demmy) - but none of them are so utterly narcissistic as Ken.

OP posts:
ReactionaryFish · 05/04/2012 23:14

In answer to your OP, LFN, it would appear the socialists are not going to defend him. or alternatively they're going to claim he's not actually a socialist. one of the two, anyway; I'm confused, but then I generally am when I try and make head or tail of what the average Mumsnet lefty is actually on about.

LoopyLoopsIsTentativelyBack · 05/04/2012 23:15

Do you know what a socialist is?

ReactionaryFish · 05/04/2012 23:17

not really, but that may be because those who claim to be such make such a poor job of explaining themselves.

LineRunner · 05/04/2012 23:19

Perhaps it is those who claim that those who claim to be socialists make such a poor job of explaining themselves that need to explain themselves.

ReactionaryFish · 05/04/2012 23:22

Yes. I can't help but think that linerunner's last contribution rather proves my point.
Once a thread goes like this it generally leaves me wishing I'd spent my evening gouging my eyeballs out with a rusty teaspoon, so I'll bow out and leave you to it.

LineRunner · 05/04/2012 23:24

See ya.

Original poster
longfingernails · 05/04/2012 23:24

So, Labour/union members, tell me do: why did you (collectively) vote for Ken to be your candidate?

OP posts:
TheEternalOptimist · 05/04/2012 23:27

I am a Labour supporter but didn't vote for Ken, and would not have had I been a member of the party.

Not quite sure what your point is.

There is no other politician in the Labour party further down on the admired by Labour supporters list, I would have thought.

DowagersHump · 05/04/2012 23:32

How funny when it is the tories who generally advocate tax avoidance as being perfectly legit and above board and nothing wrong with it whatsoever. Actually lfn, I seem to recall you defending it rather hotly.

I don't like it at all but then I don't like Livingstone.

Original poster
longfingernails · 05/04/2012 23:39

DowagersHump Ken is a typical champagne socialist hypocrite.

He is happy to charge the taxpayer £260 for a pair of shoes and to send homophobic dog-whistles to extremists.

The worst Tory London politician (by quite some distance) is Brian Coleman. He is rude, arrogant, charges extravagant expenses to the taxpayer, and is generally unpleasant and obnoxious. I will be glad when Labour gets rid of him (which it looks like doing). Even Brian Coleman isn't as bad as Ken though.

OP posts:
DioneTheDiabolist · 06/04/2012 00:00

How can dog whistles be homophobic?

Original poster
longfingernails · 06/04/2012 00:04

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog-whistle_politics

OP posts:
DioneTheDiabolist · 06/04/2012 00:12

So, he's in the Labour Party, spends hundreds of pounds on shoes, sends secret homophobic messages to extremists , earns buckets of cash, has an accountant and doesn't pay very much tax.

What makes you think this man is a socialist LFN?

ThatVikRinA22 · 06/04/2012 00:17

is there such a thing as a politician with principles? are they not all self serving thieving bastards? cos i thought they were....
or am i missing a point here?

DioneTheDiabolist · 06/04/2012 00:33

I remember a seeing and listening to a politician with principles once. He died.

minimathsmouse · 06/04/2012 00:38

When did labour revert to socialism, have I missed something?

MayaAngelCool · 06/04/2012 00:45

When I was at the anti Iraq war march in Hyde Park in 2003, I remember Ken Livingstone stood out as one of the best speakers: intelligent, incisive, knowledgeable, convincing.

Years later I wrote to him about one of his stupider decisions as Mayor, and I reached the decision that despite his brilliance as a speaker he is still a shamefully narcissistic dick. Intelligence has its limits and clearly he is socially and personally as moronic as it's possible to be.

glasnost · 06/04/2012 08:04

Ken. is. not. a. socialist. Say it slowly for longfingernails. For her anyone to the left of Franco's a socialist. A real socialist would have no support whatsoever from Nu Labour and would've been expelled long ago.

glasnost · 06/04/2012 08:12

OP either you're a wind up merchant OR you're an Objectivist Ayn Rand type. I think we should be told.

Al0uise · 06/04/2012 08:13

Ken is the epitome of socialist. He wants to lead his his life exactly as he chooses to but he also wants to tell us how to conduct our affairs.

Original poster
longfingernails · 06/04/2012 08:36

DioneTheDiabolist I couldn't care less if Ken decided to buy £260 shoes. What I mind is that he saw fit to charge the taxpayer for them.

OP posts:
ReactionaryFish · 06/04/2012 08:43

And he still looked like he'd bought his wardrobe at Burton .. you can't polish a turd, can you?