Ken Livingstone and the BBC

The BBC failed to investigate Ken Livingstone's colleague Lee Jasper and the other members of his coterie before the ayoral election, leaving it to the London Evening Standard and Channel 4. Since the election of Boris Johnson the BBC has started to use Ken Livingstone as a new regular commentator on various political matters, has a day gone by without him being interviewed or quoted? Meanwhile the BBC have totally ignored the story exposed by the Standard that

"Eight of Ken Livingstone's closest "cronies" are to receive pay-offs totalling £1.6 million after he changed the rules before he lost the election."

The Standard explains that

"The former senior City Hall advisers were political appointments on fixed-term contracts. By law they had to lose their jobs when Mr Livingstone lost the election."

Just to make the point clear that Ken Livingstone was the man who caused this to happen, the Standard add that

"Last year, Mr Livingstone introduced a rule which allowed them severance payments by giving them the same redundancy rights as permanent employees. They are now to get an average of £200,000 each after several appointed solicitors and threatened to sue the new Mayor, Boris Johnson, for "unfair dismissal". Those getting payoffs include John Ross, Mr Livingstone's economic adviser; Redmond O'Neill, his adviser on transport; Simon Fletcher, his chief of staff, and Mark Watts, his climate change adviser, all of whom are current or former senior members of Trotskyite group Socialist Action."

Yes it's that group Socialist Action again.

"Mr Ross, Mr O'Neill and Mr Fletcher were the key members of what was dubbed the "Kenocracy," the fanatically loyal group of advisers who worked for Mr Livingstone long before he became Mayor and who imposed his will on City Hall. Others being paid off include John Duffy, Mr Livingstone's adviser for waste; Murziline Parchment, his director of major projects, and Joy Johnson, his former head of PR. None was available for comment."

Not a word on the BBC about this, if it is on their website then it is well hidden.

Can we find out how much the BBC has paid Ken Livingstone for his appearances since 1 May?

Can you imagine the level of coverage if this had been the story of a ex-Conservative mayor changing the rules so his ex-colleagues earn big payoffs at the local rate-payers expense.