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Last Updated: Friday, 24 February
2006, 20:44 GMT

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Mayor is suspended over Nazi jibe

Mr Livingstone said he was expressing his
honestly-held view

London's
mayor has been suspended from office on full pay for four weeks for
comparing a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard.

The Adjudication Panel for England ruled Ken Livingstone had
brought his office into disrepute when he acted in an "unnecessarily
insensitive" manner.

The ban is due to begin on 1 March and the mayor's deputy Nicky
Gavron will stand in for Mr Livingstone.

The mayor said: "This decision strikes at the heart of
democracy."

He added: "Elected politicians should only be able to be removed
by the voters or for breaking the law.

The case tribunal is concerned that the
mayor does seem to have failed... to have appreciated that his
conduct was unacceptable

David Laverick
Panel chairman

Adjudication
panel explained

Profile:
Ken Livingstone

"Three members of a body that no one has ever elected should not
be allowed to overturn the votes of millions of Londoners."

Mr Livingstone, whose annual salary is £133,997, said he would
announce what action he would be taking next week.

The hearing followed a complaint from the Jewish Board of
Deputies, which had not called for the mayor to be suspended over
the comment he made to the Evening Standard's Oliver Finegold
outside a public-funded party.

The chairman of the panel, David Laverick, said it had decided on
a ban because Mr Livingstone had failed to realise the seriousness
of his outburst.

He said: "The case tribunal accepts that this is not a situation
when it would be appropriate to disqualify the mayor.

The Mayor and the Journalist

Ken Livingstone was recorded asking reporter
Oliver Finegold if he is a "German war criminal".

Mr Finegold replies: "No, I'm Jewish, I wasn't a German war
criminal. I'm quite offended by that."

The mayor then says: "Ah right, well you might be, but
actually you are just like a concentration camp guard, you are
just doing it because you are paid to, aren't you?"

The original row

"The
case tribunal is, however, concerned that the mayor does seem to
have failed, from the outset of this case, to have appreciated that
his conduct was unacceptable, was a breach of the code (the GLA code
of conduct) and did damage to the reputation of his office."

Mr Laverick went on to say that the complaint should never have
reached the board but did so because of Mr Livingstone's failure to
apologise.

In a statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it
regretted the guilty result, but said Mr Livingstone had been "the
architect of his own misfortune" by failing to recognise the upset
caused.

It added it had never sought anything more than an apology and an
acknowledgement that his words were inappropriate for the "elected
representative of Londoners of all faiths and beliefs".

'Outrageous ruling'

But Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron said the incident had been "blown
out of all proportion" and described the decision as absurd.

Association of London Government chairman Sir Robin Wales added
the "outrageous ruling" would stall the mayor in his work to
increase police numbers and prepare the city for the 2012 Olympics.

Sir Iqbal Sacranie, secretary general of the Muslim Council of
Britain, said: "This decision constitutes a clear over-reaction and
an affront to our democratic traditions."

Mr Livingstone has said he was expressing his honestly-held
political view of Associated Newspapers, but he had not meant to
offend the Jewish community.

HAVE YOUR SAY

I'm certainly no fan of Ken Livingstone
but this is a stupid waste of time and money

Tio Terry, Epsom

Send
us your comments

The Evening Standard's editor Veronica Wadley said that Mr
Finegold had behaved impeccably when he was insulted and accused Mr
Livingstone of being stubborn.

The London Jewish Forum welcomed the ruling, with chairman Adrian
Cohen calling for the mayor to create a strategy to ensure London's
Jews would be treated with respect.

Conservative London Assembly Member Brian Coleman said Mr
Livingstone had let Londoners down. All three called for the mayor
to apologise.

Baroness Hamwee, Liberal Democrat chair of the assembly, said she
was "quite taken aback" by the length of the suspension.

If an appeal fails, Mr Livingstone will be responsible for paying
his own legal costs, estimated at £80,000.

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BBC NEWS:VIDEO AND AUDIO
Hear the
exchange that led to Ken Livingstone's suspension

BBC LONDON
Travel, features and more from the BBC
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SEE ALSO:

What is the
adjudication panel?
24 Feb 06 |
UK

Ken
jibe 'did not damage office'
23 Feb
06 |  London

Mayor's
Nazi comment 'offensive'
14 Dec
05 |  London

No
apology over Ken's 'Nazi jibe'
22 Feb
05 |  London

Probe
launched over Ken Nazi jibe
21 Feb
05 |  London

Mayor
rapped for Nazi guard jibe
11 Feb
05 |  London

Profile:
Ken Livingstone
09 May 03 |
Politics

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:

Standards
Board for England

Mayor of London

The Board of
Deputies of British Jews

Commission for
Racial Equality

Adjudication Panel for
England

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external
internet sites

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