The fragility of this country's democracy has been demonstrated today. An unelected body has today removed our elected mayor, Ken Livingstone, following a complaint by the British Board of Deputies. At a comment he made to a journalist from a nasty right wing newspaper who was hounding him. The newspaper in question is owned by a family which is imfamous for its historical support of British fascists and the German Nazis.That a popular democratic leader should be deposed by pressure from an unrepresentative religious organisation should ring alarm bells all round the UK. The parallels with the cartoon protests, a religious grouping protesting about an insult, are worrying.
I like Ken, he's brash and says what he thinks. That is refreshing in a politician. Unlike all the members of the House of Lords, and the British Board of Deputies he has been elected by popular vote.
Pickled Politics gets it spot on and Wot I Fink has more background to the comments.
Tags religion, democracy, ken, livingtone, insult, cartoons, secular, free speech,
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