Ken the Cobra

Ken Livingstone has always been a nasty piece of work. Those of us who are old enough well remember how when Labour won the GLC elections under whichever leader they had at that time, that in a move of which Stalin would have approved, Ken and his cohorts immediately called for a leadership election. He won the election and thus replaced the then Labour London leader to take over as the GLC chairman. Like many politicians he weaves good stories which are to say the very least greatly exaggerated. Factcheck on Channel 4 have found some of the claims he makes to be dubious to a degree but yet he still attracts followers. One wonders how he does it but his whine is somehow fascinating rather like the movement of the cobra that mesmerises its victims before it strikes them dead. This time though his hypocrisy has been exposed as has that of his leader, Ed Miliband. That Ken should be so arranging his affairs like any sane person to pay only that amount of tax he needs to is not only his right but very sensible but his attacks on others for doing just that are of a high order of hypocrisy that has shocked even some members of his party. Not Ed Miliband though who has been defending Ken by saying he is no worse than Boris. Boris though has categorically denied using Ken's tax avoidance scheme as can be seen here. Cameron will be licking his lips and is bound to throw Ed's charge in his face at next week's PMQs.