Another Ken Livingstone related story

The dirt just keeps on flowing; here's the latest on Ken Livingstone - once again from The Standard:

"Senior aide Lee Jasper initiated a smear campaign against Trevor Phillips to stop him becoming head of the new Equalities superwatchdog, Dispatches claims.

Mr Livingstone had an acrimonious relationship with Mr Phillips who was Labour chairman of the London Assembly in the Mayor's first term from 2000 to 2004.

Dispatches claims it was Mr Jasper's job to discredit Mr Phillips, before he was appointed to head the new Equalities and Human Rights Commission in 2006.

The Mayor's adviser on equalities and policing allegedly recruited Anne Kane, a long time associate of the Mayor and former member of Socialist Action, to conduct negative research on Mr Phillips.

Dispatches claims she received £14,400 of taxpayers' money and that her work was signed off by the Mayor himself.

In June 2006, Mr Jasper sent her an email asking her to draft an article outlining his opposition to Mr Phillips, who was then head of the Commission for Racial Equality. She later reported back to Mr Jasper that Mr Phillips was "rattled" by one article."


Do read the rest of the story about our esteemed Mayor and his political tactics - no opposition to the true way is allowed.