In a letter to CAAT, Ken Lvingstone has expressed his opposition to the DSEi arms fair, calling it 'disgraceful'.
A few weeks ago, someone posted a newswire message on Indymedia claiming that London Mayor Ken Livingstone supported the DSEi arms fair which will take place in September at the ExCel centre in Docklands. The message contained what appeared to be a quote from Livingstone, and a link to the press release pages of the Mayor's website, where it was claimed we could find the statement "buried in a press release".
Quite apart from the odd idea that the best way to bury an embarassing position is to put it into a press release, it proved impossible to find such a release anywhere on the London Authority site, as several Indymedia users subsequently commented.
However, since opposing the arms fair is so central to the work of Campaign Against Arms Trade, we decided it would be useful to clarify the Mayor's position. He has just replied to us, stating his opposition to the fair and his preparedness to speak publically about this. The letter reads:
"Thank you for your emails regarding the DSEi arms fair, planned to take place at the ExCel centre in London’s Docklands this September.
"Even though I have no powers to prevent it, I wholeheartedly continue to support your opposition to it. It is wrong for police resources to be diverted to this event and a travesty that the cost should be borne by Londoners and not the event organisers. Such events are a disgrace and ought to be denounced by all Londoners.
"I am happy for you to publicise my total opposition to this event, and I will be taking up opportunities to press the venue and event organizers to ban future events. I will also be issuing a statement on my website, www.london.gov.uk, voicing my opposition.
"I am also very happy for members of the public to send me their thoughts by postcard, but unfortunately, I regret that due to ongoing diary constraints it will not be possible for me to accompany you to the Ministry of Defence and present them.
"Again I wish to reiterate my strong support to peaceful protest against this disgraceful event.
"Yours sincerely, Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London"
We thought it was appropriate to publicise this response, given the discussion on Indymedia about it. You can help show the strength of public opposition to DSEi by signing our online petition at
http://www.caat.org.uk/campaigns/dsei/petition.php if you haven't already done so.
Quite apart from the odd idea that the best way to bury an embarassing position is to put it into a press release, it proved impossible to find such a release anywhere on the London Authority site, as several Indymedia users subsequently commented.
However, since opposing the arms fair is so central to the work of Campaign Against Arms Trade, we decided it would be useful to clarify the Mayor's position. He has just replied to us, stating his opposition to the fair and his preparedness to speak publically about this. The letter reads:
"Thank you for your emails regarding the DSEi arms fair, planned to take place at the ExCel centre in London’s Docklands this September.
"Even though I have no powers to prevent it, I wholeheartedly continue to support your opposition to it. It is wrong for police resources to be diverted to this event and a travesty that the cost should be borne by Londoners and not the event organisers. Such events are a disgrace and ought to be denounced by all Londoners.
"I am happy for you to publicise my total opposition to this event, and I will be taking up opportunities to press the venue and event organizers to ban future events. I will also be issuing a statement on my website, www.london.gov.uk, voicing my opposition.
"I am also very happy for members of the public to send me their thoughts by postcard, but unfortunately, I regret that due to ongoing diary constraints it will not be possible for me to accompany you to the Ministry of Defence and present them.
"Again I wish to reiterate my strong support to peaceful protest against this disgraceful event.
"Yours sincerely, Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London"
We thought it was appropriate to publicise this response, given the discussion on Indymedia about it. You can help show the strength of public opposition to DSEi by signing our online petition at
http://www.caat.org.uk/campaigns/dsei/petition.php if you haven't already done so. 
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Comments
Hide the following 9 comments
Good!
23.06.2005 11:51
Let's all slag him off because we've got nothing better to do!
duff beer
Thanks for clearing that one up :-)
23.06.2005 12:05
I'm glad Ken's opposed to the DSEi. It's a bit disappointing though that he "doesn't have time" in his diary to go and see the ministry of defense about it (not that they'd listen to him anyway). Sort your priorities out Ken.
He's a bit of a mixed bag, Ken. He may not support the DSEi but he does support The City. I remember him saying somewhere that London has one of the world's leading financial centres and he seemed to be implying that this was a good thing and something to promote nad be proud of and invest in.
But then if you're job is being the mayor of London, it would be political suicide to condemn international capitalism. There's only so much you can do really in a position of power (or more accurately a position of office). That's why ultimately, people need to build their own horizontal power structures with communities accountable to themselves, unsubordinated to elite vested interests.
mcw
Ken Livingstone did nothing to mobilse against the last two arms fairs!
24.06.2005 08:37
Tom
Ken did nothing to mobilise protesters...
24.06.2005 11:00
Does Ken have autocratic rights over the MET. Can he give direct orders to policemen?
Ken would probably argue that he supports peaceful protest against the DSEi but that it is necessary to police any trouble makers.
.
Fuck Ken even more!
24.06.2005 12:50
Anyone also remember the full-page ads that appeared in The Standard prior to Mayday 2000 (Ken comfortably in office!) with old pal Tony telling people to stay away from central London?!
Livingstone will surely become a London Labour MP again once he leaves the mayors office office....
Fucked off with pseudo lefty politicians
Pseudo-left politicians suck arse BUT
24.06.2005 13:49
Read George Galloway's book and he'll tell you about all sorts of familiar names and faces who were hardcore trotskyists back in the day. (think of all the most authoritarian right wing new-labourites and you'll get the general idea).
Is it because these people were all fakes to begin with?
Or is it something that happens to you when find yourself on the inside of government?
Or is it a bit of both?
Who do politicians spend most of their time hanging out with? Ordinary people? Or business leaders and other policitians?
Some people believe "trying to change things from the inside" is a valid tactic. But I think there's a huge risk if you do that that what'll really happen is that THE INSIDE CHANGES YOU.
Rather than slagging of the individual human beings, let's look at the system which does this to people. It's the system that's got to be changed.
change the world without taking power.
Kenny
24.06.2005 19:10
dave Cheseldine
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daveches@daveches.co.uk
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OH NO ! Now we are in big touble .
24.06.2005 19:57
You can rest assured he will be glad handing around the dealers with the money behind the scenes before, durign and after DSEi. Wake up and smell the cordite!
Perhaps, people, he was just hoping not to lose a few of your miserable votes.
Acton Ant Visit
publish a statement?
17.08.2005 20:12
>"I am happy for you to publicise my total opposition to this event, and I
>will be taking up opportunities to press the venue and event organizers
>to ban future events. I will also be issuing a statement on my website,
>www.london.gov.uk, voicing my opposition."
He doesn't appear to have done so.
This google search:
gives only two results. Both are records of a pettion against dsei being
brought to the Mayor, via Green London Assembly member Darren
Johnson.
It would be nice if Ken could at least put a prominent condemnation of
DSEi on his website, since he claims to condemn it.
eric