Livingstone's family life

I can't stand King Newt Mr Ken Livingstone. He is useless. A self-publicist, an unreformed 70s socialist who thinks Chavez and Castro are role models. He is the worst type of populist leftie.

But - all this newspaper focus on his private life is wrong. His personal life should be private as long as he isn't being a hypocrite. As far as I am aware he has never run the 'family man' type of election campaigns. If he had - then he deserves all the scorn. I can't stand hypocritical politicians.

As far as I am concerned he can be gay or straight, family man or player it is irrelevant. Churchill was a border-line drunk, MacMillian probably a repressed gay just to name 2 decent PMs of the 20th Century (well one great one and one half decent one!)

Many of our past & present leaders have had or still have less than perfect private lives. It is irrelevant.

What matters is that Livingstone is a useless piss poor Mayor.

Boris or Ken or Camp Copper

Nominations are due today for the London Mayoral elections on 1st May. Ken is looking like he is going to be kicked out by bumbling Boris. Which is a good thing in itself - Livingstone is a great self-publicist but an incompetent socialist who thinks that Chavez and Castro are great role models for democracy and human rights (!!!!!!!).

Being the Mayor is a strange job. Not enough power to attract really serious heavyweight politicians (just look at the choices on offer for 2008!), but enough power to be a real menace to London boroughs & Londoners who pay the Mayor's council tax precept.

Livingstone's charge has gone up 150% over the past few years - so much for a streamlined Mayoralty & GLA.

Mr Rover will definitely be drinking a bottle of the good stuff when Ken loses on 1st May. But I have a nagging feeling that Boris can't get away from being a joke politician. Maybe the joke is on us and he is supremely intelligent, tapping into the popular cynicism towards politicians to be the ultimate anti-politician..... hmmm