Ken Livingstone

[[File:Ken_Livingstone_2008.png|thumb|165px|right|The man himself.]]{{UKpolitics}}
'''Kenneth Robert "[[Socialism|Red]] Ken" Livingstone''' {{lived|1945}} is a former [[United Kingdom|British]] politician. He is the former Mayor of [[London]], and the first person to occupy that office as well as the last leader of the Greater London Council. Nicknamed 'Red Ken' and 'the Newt' (from pet [[amphibian]]s). He was also one of the leaders of the somewhat unhinged group [[Unite Against Fascism]].

He is the scourge of [[Margaret Thatcher]]. Even though she's dead, and his leadership of the GLC led to her abolishing it.

==What's all this, then?==
Livingstone is perhaps best known for pioneering the introduction of the "congestion charge," a fee levied on people driving private vehicles into central London.

Livingstone also appointed to his administration a disproportionate number of members of a [[Trotskyism|Trotskyist]] group, Socialist Action. This revelation brought a bevy of the usual slop about [[Conspiracy theory|secret communist infiltration]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-05-22|title=Ken Livingstone’s aides ‘in secret Marxist cell’ - Times Online|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522125340/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3216687.ece|access-date=2021-12-03|website=web.archive.org}}</ref> which completely ignored the fact that Socialist Action's role in his administration had been brought to light by one of Socialist Action's own members, who complained that Livingstone was not a Trotskyist and was merely exploiting the group to get more power for himself.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3216954.ece ''The Times'']</ref>

In March 2012 he received criticism from [[Judaism|Jewish]] Labour-supporters in London. Reportedly, he argued that [[Labour Party|Labour]] is unlikely to receive many votes from the Jewish community on the grounds that Jews are generally too wealthy to support a left-wing party.<ref>http://thejc.com/news/uk-news/65425/ken-livingstone-jews-wont-vote-labour-because-they-are-rich</ref> He also likes to say that [[Hitler]] supported [[Zionism]]. This hasn't gone well for him.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39498275 Ken Livingstone Hitler row: Labour suspends former mayor again].</ref>

In 2016 Livingstone was suspended from Labour for anti-Semitism. In May 2018 he quit the party shortly before he would have been expelled. <ref name="Harpin220518">{{cite news|last=Harpin|first=Lee|url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/ken-livingstone-zionism-hitler-labour-seamus-milne-simon-fletcher-1.464424|title=Ken Livingstone 'was told what to say about Zionism row by Corbyn's team'|work=The Jewish Chronicle|date=22 May 2018|accessdate=23 May 2018}}</ref>

==After Labour==
In 2022, Livingstone announced he intended to join the Green Party of England and Wales, but his membership application was rejected.<ref>[https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/ken-livingstones-bid-to-join-the-green-party-is-rejected/ Ken Livingstone’s bid to join the Green Party is rejected] Jewish News, February 7, 2022</ref>

In 2023, his family disclosed he had retired from public life following a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66860535 Former London mayor has Alzheimer's, family say] BBC News, September 20, 2023</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Livingstone, Ken}}
{{stub|politicians}}
[[Category:British people]]
[[Category:Former Members of Parliament (UK)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Socialists]]

Categories: British people, Former Members of Parliament (UK), Living people, Socialists