The Hindu : London Mayor lashes out at Bush

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 10, 2003

International

International

London Mayor lashes out at Bush

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON MAY 9. London's outspoken Mayor, Ken Livingstone, sparked a row today after he publicly lashed out at the Bush administration questioning its legitimacy and saying that he was as keen to see it `overthrown' as he had been to see the back of the Saddam Hussein regime.

Mr. Livingstone, who consistently opposed the British backing for the invasion of Iraq and led the anti-war rally in London in February, said George W. Bush was not a `legitimate' President because of the vote-counting scandal that marked his election and his Government was "completely unsupportable''.

``This really is a completely unsupportable Government and I look forward to it being overthrown as much as I looked forward to Saddam Hussein being overthrown,''

Mr. Livingstone said, talking to a group of schoolchildren.

Critics denounced his personal attack on Mr. Bush as `outrageous' and inconsistent with diplomatic niceties expected of the Mayor.

Tories said his "utterly irresponsible'' remarks were likely to put off American tourists at a time when Britain badly needed them.

``I'm afraid this is typical Livingstone: the red mist comes down and his judgment just flies out of the window,'' said Steve Norris, the Tory candidate for the next mayoral elections, adding that instead of `pontificating' about world affairs, Mr. Livingstone should concentrate on sorting out London's problems.

Known as "Red Ken'' because of his radical left-wing views, Mr. Livingstone revels in controversies.

He was thrown out of the Labour Party after he defied it to contest for Mayor as an independent-and won much to the party's embarrassment.

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