# Boris's Deputy's mayor Ray Lewis in sexual misconduct charge...



## stretchy18 (Jul 3, 2008)

*Ray Lewis Deputy Mayor*

Whats this all about then

Watching him get hammered on sky news, John Snow appears to have dirt on him


----------



## Maggot (Jul 3, 2008)

He was barred from working for the church after dodgy financial allegations:


----------



## stretchy18 (Jul 3, 2008)

The church has just refuted that claim, apparently......

All seems very messy, plenty of "Heavy weight" media getting stuck in

Boris seems to be backing his man, could be bad news for BJ if he's backed the wrong horse


----------



## Santino (Jul 3, 2008)

"Boris Johnson announces investigation into sex claims against deputy", according to the Guardian, lol.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/03/london.boris


----------



## nino_savatte (Jul 3, 2008)

Is Lewis about to become Johnson's "Lee Jasper"?


----------



## Fruitloop (Jul 3, 2008)

Always the same isn't it? Labour get caught with their hands in the till and the Tories get caught with their wang somewhere it doesn't belong.


----------



## editor (Jul 3, 2008)

Looks like another great decision by the blonde buffoon:



> In a live broadcast press conference, Boris Johnson has announced an independent inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct against Deputy Mayor Ray Lewis. The press conference is unfolding with Ray Lewis himself present, and many of the questions directed to him concern his dismissal from the church. He is saying he is unaware of any dismissal. Mr Johnson has mentioned that he will not suspend Mr Lewis from his role as Deputy Mayor for the duration of the inquiry but this is to be confirmed. More updates to come.
> 
> UPDATE: It has emerged that there are several allegations made against Mr Lewis and certain facts about his professional career prior to his role as Deputy Mayor have come to light.
> - He was a vicar in the Church of England up to 1998 when he was barred from public preaching or ministry after allegations of sexual misconduct and financial irregularities. Mr Lewis insists he was unaware he had been barred and it was his decision to stop practicing
> ...





> London Mayor Boris Johnson is launching an independent inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct against deputy mayor Ray Lewis.
> 
> The allegations against Mr Lewis, who has responsibility for youth, refer to when he worked as a vicar in east London a decade ago.
> 
> ...


----------



## Nemo (Jul 3, 2008)

nino_savatte said:


> Is Lewis about to become Johnson's "Lee Jasper"?


Possibly. You have to admire the Tories' application though; it took Ken Livingstone 8 years to look as dodgy as BoJo the Clown has managed in 8 weeks.


----------



## tarannau (Jul 3, 2008)

nino_savatte said:


> Is Lewis about to become Johnson's "Lee Jasper"?



To be fair even Lee Jasper wasn't a defrocked minister facing sexual harrassment charges

First racists, then feelhappy priests. Johnson's really taken a clean brush to those distasteful cronies in City Hall, hasn't he?


----------



## editor (Jul 3, 2008)

Threads merged.


----------



## Melinda (Jul 3, 2008)

Jesus, this is all over the news. 

Any background check cant have been up to much? He's on the 'Lambeth List' for dodgy Anglican clergy. Bloody hell.


----------



## Melinda (Jul 3, 2008)

Ray Lewis' performance at the Mayor's press conference was woeful and cringey. 

Asked if he was on the Lambeth list- he said he didnt know because he never asked.


----------



## rich! (Jul 3, 2008)

Melinda said:


> Ray Lewis' performance at the Mayor's press conference was woeful and cringey.
> 
> Asked if he was on the Lambeth list- he said he didnt know because he never asked.



To be fair, it's not an easy document to find. Partly, I think, because "Part II" names are "we think this chap is too dodgy but it won't stand up in court" which could be taken as libellous if it was easy to find.
2.4 part II:
http://www.oxford.anglican.org/page/1703/


----------



## untethered (Jul 3, 2008)

It's quite straightforward to handle this without looking like (any more of) a total idiot.

1. Suspend the chap for 24 hours while you do a very quick investigation.

2. If there is good prima facie evidence that the allegations are substantial, suspend him until the outcome of a full enquiry. Otherwise, reinstate him with measures to ensure that he has zero opportunity to commit the kinds of things alleged.

3. Hold a full inquiry as quickly as possible but make it thorough enough for everyone to have confidence in the process.

4. Reinstate in full if cleared, sack if any of it is found true, including any reasonable suspicion that he had withheld information when accepting the job.


----------



## agricola (Jul 3, 2008)

What on earth were Livingstone's campaign, and those elements of the media, doing when they should have been looking at Lewis before the election?


----------



## butchersapron (Jul 3, 2008)

C4 now, RE: financial allegations, me and a parishoner "decided to embark on an adventure together". All other stuff denied.


----------



## Melinda (Jul 3, 2008)

rich! said:


> To be fair, it's not an easy document to find. Partly, I think, because "Part II" names are "we think this chap is too dodgy but it won't stand up in court" which could be taken as libellous if it was easy to find.
> 2.4 part II:
> http://www.oxford.anglican.org/page/1703/


Thanks for that link  interesting reading. 

Ray Lewis just got mullered on BBC London; that said his denials were emphatic enough for him to be summarily sacked if there is even a wisp of smoke to these allegations. 

Ray may not know what censures were taken against him by Cheltenham Diocese because he seemingly skipped the country to minister in the W.Indies, however he *must* have known some kind of action will have been taken in his absence over the parishioner's missing money. 

His "I didnt steal the money, it was just resting in my account" defence was painful to watch. 

It reflects really badly on Boris and his team, because even if Ray is cleared, its obvious that Boris was so desperate for a Black deputy they picked the first guy who talked a good game and didnt look too far into his background.


----------



## tangentlama (Jul 3, 2008)

He's a pariah, that Johnson fella, and no mistake.


----------



## JHE (Jul 3, 2008)

There are, apparently, sexual allegations and financial allegations.

1.  What are the sexual allegations?  I mean, if people have accused him of sexual assault, that's serious stuff, but if he has just been accused of having an illicit affair with a parishioner while he was a parish priest, most of us will think it's none of our business, won't we?  The Church authorities might have to take stuff like that seriously, but the rest of us don't.  (The notorious womaniser, Boris Johnson, we can suppose, will not hold illicit affairs against any member of his staff.)

2.  The financial stuff should be relatively easy to check out - at least to a certain extent.  Normally, where's there's money,there are records.  It is possible that people who disapprove of Lewis are making dishonest allegations or that people who disapprove of his boss, BJ, are making dishonest allegations as a way of getting at BJ.  Hopefully, these financial allegations will be investigated and if they don't 'sand up' the people making the allegations will do the decent thing and shut up.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 3, 2008)

Ed's post said:
			
		

> It has emerged that there are several allegations made against Mr Lewis and certain facts about his professional career prior to his role as Deputy Mayor have come to light.



Unproven allegations.




			
				Ed's post said:
			
		

> He also set up Eastside Young Leaders Academy that works with black teenagers excluded from mainstream schooling



He sounds like a right nasty cunt, this one.




			
				Ed's post said:
			
		

> - Boris Johnson is keenly defending his aide and is claiming that the allegations against him are rubbish and intended to smear him "because he has had the guts to serve in this administration". Mr Lewis will not be suspended from his role as Deputy Mayor while the independent inquiry is carried out.



The same racist smear merchants that went after Lee Jasper no doubt.




			
				BBC said:
			
		

> Between 1999 and 2005, Ray was placed under the formal disciplinary structures of the Church of England, and his ministry was restricted," said the Rt Revd John Gladwin, Bishop of Chelmsford.
> 
> "This was because a misdemeanour of such seriousness had been committed that in the opinion of the Archbishop, the person concerned should not exercise his ministry for the time being."



So he's not barred from being a minister or from preaching?

Fucking weak attack all round.


----------



## JHE (Jul 3, 2008)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> The same racist smear merchants that went after Lee Jasper no doubt.



If there is any smearing going on now against Ray Lewis, it is likely to be by people who are on the side of Livingstone & Jasper.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jul 3, 2008)

nino_savatte said:


> Is Lewis about to become Johnson's "Lee Jasper"?



I've been wondering the same thing...how long will this go on, will he resign...?


----------



## untethered (Jul 3, 2008)

We could see an "I've done nothing wrong but the media-led speculation about me has become a distraction from the real issues" resignation in a few weeks if it isn't tied up conclusively one way or the other before then.

I hate it when they do that.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jul 3, 2008)

Just watched this interview (scroll down a bit) here and all my instincts are screaming the same thing "He's guilty as sin!".

Dunno why but this feels like a massive bluff; come out fighting and denying everything strongly in the hope the media will be scared off following the story properly...


----------



## editor (Jul 4, 2008)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Fucking weak attack all round.


Wow. And you know that already _before_ it's been properly investigated?

Incredible.


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Jul 4, 2008)

JHE said:


> There are, apparently, sexual allegations and financial allegations.
> 
> 1.  What are the sexual allegations?  I mean, if people have accused him of sexual assault, that's serious stuff, but if he has just been accused of having an illicit affair with a parishioner while he was a parish priest, most of us will think it's none of our business, won't we?  The Church authorities might have to take stuff like that seriously, but the rest of us don't.  (The notorious womaniser, Boris Johnson, we can suppose, will not hold illicit affairs against any member of his staff.)
> 
> 2.  The financial stuff should be relatively easy to check out - at least to a certain extent.  Normally, where's there's money,there are records.  It is possible that people who disapprove of Lewis are making dishonest allegations or that people who disapprove of his boss, BJ, are making dishonest allegations as a way of getting at BJ.  Hopefully, these financial allegations will be investigated and if they don't 'sand up' the people making the allegations will do the decent thing and shut up.



I might have known you'd be first in line to stick up for him


----------



## JHE (Jul 4, 2008)

Divisive Cotton said:


> I might have known you'd be first in line to stick up for him



That's not really how I'd describe my post, but if that's how you see it, I guess you are already certain about the truth of the allegations.  That puts you two steps ahead of me, because I don't even know what the allegations are yet.

Perhaps you'd like to tell us what they are and how you know they are true.


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Jul 4, 2008)

JHE said:


> I don't even know what the allegations are yet.



But yet you still feel a need to put your opinion across


----------



## JHE (Jul 4, 2008)

Divisive Cotton said:


> But yet you still feel a need to put your opinion across


Not on the truth or otherwise of the allegations - and you know where you can shove your rolling eyes.


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Jul 4, 2008)

JHE said:


> Not on the truth or otherwise of the allegations - and you know where you can shove your rolling eyes.



But you just wrote that you don't know what the allegations are


----------



## JHE (Jul 4, 2008)

Divisive Cotton said:


> But you just wrote that you don't know what the allegations are



Yes.  Do you know what they are?


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Jul 4, 2008)

JHE said:


> Yes.  Do you know what they are?



Very serious by the looks of it. An all round bad egg. I give him to 4pm tomorrow before he has to resign.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 4, 2008)

editor said:


> Wow. And you know that already _before_ it's been properly investigated?
> 
> Incredible.



Yet you claim not to quote tittle tattle until the facts are known.

Unless it suits your bias of course.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 4, 2008)

agricola said:


> What on earth were Livingstone's campaign, and those elements of the media, doing when they should have been looking at Lewis before the election?



'Cos Lewis was a nobody during the campaign. He only got appointed afterwards.

I've visited his 'school' and it's god-awful. One step up from a prison, basically.


----------



## dtb (Jul 4, 2008)

lets see if he stays in office as long as lee jasper after the allegations of corruption were made against him


----------



## editor (Jul 4, 2008)

Boris sure can pick 'em!


----------



## Belushi (Jul 4, 2008)

I wish KBJ was still with us 

I want to taunt him


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 4, 2008)

IIRC Lewis's PR men kept representing him as a former "prison governor", as in "the head of a prison", whereas his actual grade was that of a junior governor, otherwise known as a department governor, one of 6-12 (depending on the size of the prison) deputies and/or juniors a prison governor has to do the footwork for him.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 4, 2008)

Belushi said:


> I wish KBJ was still with us
> 
> I want to taunt him



Where's KJB gone?  Did I miss something?


----------



## Belushi (Jul 4, 2008)

He's decided to take  a break, theres a thread somewhere. Hopefully he'll come back soon.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 4, 2008)

Yeah just found it. As I said there, his hero has self-destructed within two months and KJB has flounced off rather than face the rest of us.


----------



## agricola (Jul 4, 2008)

ViolentPanda said:


> IIRC Lewis's PR men kept representing him as a former "prison governor", as in "the head of a prison", whereas his actual grade was that of a junior governor, otherwise known as a department governor, one of 6-12 (depending on the size of the prison) deputies and/or juniors a prison governor has to do the footwork for him.



IIRC the _Eye_ pointed this out before the election, though they didnt mention the CofE stuff.




			
				HackneyE9 said:
			
		

> 'Cos Lewis was a nobody during the campaign. He only got appointed afterwards.
> 
> I've visited his 'school' and it's god-awful. One step up from a prison, basically.



He wasnt a nobody - the Tories have been associated with him for ages, as this remarkably gushing Guardian piece shows (indeed, while we are on the subject of the Grauniad)


----------



## Maggot (Jul 4, 2008)

I don't know where the allegations of sexual misconduct have come from.  Have been listenening to the radio and the only case against him I've heard was that some woman lent him £25,000 to 'help poor people' or something and he didn't pay it back as quickly as he said he would.


----------



## the button (Jul 4, 2008)

> A former parishioner of London's deputy mayor Ray Lewis told today how he left Britain with £29,000 of her money.
> 
> Mary Massey, 72, said Mr Lewis - who was today embroiled in sleaze allegations - left her with just a handwritten IOU when he went to the Caribbean and she did not recover the full amount until six years later after involving the police.
> 
> She is one of three of the former vicar's parishioners who allege that he borrowed thousands of pounds from them.



_Daily Mail_, and therefore 100% true. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-I-called-police--claims-ex-parishioner.html


----------



## editor (Jul 4, 2008)

Would you trust these men?


----------



## untethered (Jul 4, 2008)

I some people here are getting things slightly out of proportion.

Firstly, I fail to see how any of this reflects on Mr Johnson's judgement. I presume the usual background checks were run on him and didn't turn up any problems. Is Mr Johnson expected to know about allegations made against someone that resulted in no police action, not an arrest, not a charge, not a conviction? It may well be that Mr Lewis would have been prudent to make a full declaration of these matters before taking the post and perhaps it reflects badly on him that he didn't. Either way, it's not Mr Johnson's responsibility.

Secondly, let's put this in the context of Lee Jasper. Mr Jasper had a number of serious allegations made against him concerning misuse of very large sums of public funds while in office. The supervision of Mr Jasper and overall scrutiny of LDA spending during that period was Mr Livingstone's direct responsibility. If the allegations against Mr Jasper are indeed ultimately proven to hold water, Mr Livingstone must inevitably share some degree of the blame for either permitting or being negligent in missing that misbehaviour with Londoners' money while in office.

By contrast, the allegations against Mr Lewis relate to a period long before his employment in the mayor's office. If it turned out that the allegations are well-founded then he will have no option but to resign or be sacked. But until then, I think it's a little rich to expect Mr Johnson to conduct a forensic-standard inquiry into the background of every one of his appointees.


----------



## untethered (Jul 4, 2008)

editor said:


> Would you trust these men?








More than I'd trust these men, at the moment.


----------



## editor (Jul 4, 2008)

untethered said:


> More than I'd trust these men, at the moment.


Thing is, those two haven't been entrusted with running London.

See the difference?


----------



## fogbat (Jul 4, 2008)

Melinda said:


> His "I didnt steal the money, it was just resting in my account" defence was painful to watch.



I was thinking exactly the same thing


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 4, 2008)

editor said:


> Thing is, those two haven't been entrusted with running London.
> 
> See the difference?



They had.

Londoners kicked them out.

Cos they was shit.


----------



## untethered (Jul 4, 2008)

editor said:


> Thing is, those two haven't been entrusted with running London.
> 
> See the difference?



Of course.

So what's your solution? Run an in-hindsight re-election for the mayor's office?

Perhaps you could address my substantive points above. There is no serious suggestion that Mr Johnson (the one here that was elected, not appointed) has done anything wrong. If it turns out that Mr Lewis has misbehaved then I'm sure everyone would be glad to see the back of him.

I fail to see how this is a major disaster for anyone other than perhaps Mr Lewis.

Now if the alleged irregularities had happened while Mr Lewis was in office it'd be a different matter. But that's not the allegation.

Did anyone actually find out what the "sexually inappropriate behaviour" was supposed to be?


----------



## Santino (Jul 4, 2008)

Johnson has just issued this statement:



> Crumbs
> 
> Well, I sort of... crumbs.


----------



## elbows (Jul 4, 2008)

I still think it would have been most amusing if Jeffrey Archer had been elected Mayor of London back in the day, if his downfall had come after election rather than before his campaign ever got going.

Meanwhile Boris is going to be a lot like Bush - bad for credibility. Ideally he'd do so staggeringly badly that everyone would be reminded of the Tory horror without having to vote them back in at a general election and suffer years of their rule, but I fear that is wishful thinking.


----------



## editor (Jul 4, 2008)

untethered said:


> I fail to see how this is a major disaster for anyone other than perhaps Mr Lewis.e?


Right. So the Mayor is not_ in any way responsible_ for the person he personally hired to be his deputy?

Nothing to do with him at all. Not his problem. The buck goes somewhere else.


----------



## untethered (Jul 4, 2008)

editor said:


> Right. So the Mayor is not_ in any way responsible_ for the person he personally hired to be his deputy?
> 
> Nothing to do with him at all. Not his problem. The buck goes somewhere else.



He is responsible for:

- running reasonable and adequate background checks on his appointees;
- supervising them adequately while in office.

As yet, there's no serious suggestion that he has failed in either of these tasks.

If you lied on your CV (perhaps by omitting something) and got a job, would your employer necessarily be responsible for hiring you? I suspect the responsibility would rest with you unless it could be shown that the employer had been entirely negligent.


----------



## elbows (Jul 4, 2008)

And once Boris got in and appointed a lot of deputies, it was clear that the real story, and policy, would be coming mostly from them. Even so I was surprised at how quickly they made the news, and the first advisor was lost. No idea at this stage whether Ray Lewis will have to go, most of the detail seems yet to emerge. Cerainyl the stuff that he is applauded for (the scary schools) seems bad enough, let alone any naughty naughty he may have been up to? Even if he survives the investigation, there has been some talk that he is the sort of bloke who needs to be able to do things his way, in his own style, or he will leave of his own accord.

Tim Parker 'The Prince of Darkness' is the deputy who 'interests' me most. Is there likely to be any dirt on him or not?


----------



## elbows (Jul 4, 2008)

untethered said:


> If you lied on your CV (perhaps by omitting something) and got a job, would your employer necessarily be responsible for hiring you? I suspect the responsibility would rest with you unless it could be shown that the employer had been entirely negligent.



Yeah but politics is no ordinary business. Politicians are judged far more by their choice of appointee's. Not that this necessarily means they will ever be held to account.

At the end of the day, if Boris has much more scandal arise from his choice of deputies, his judgement will be called into question. And as Boris's judgement was already an issue long before he was elected, expect him to have a rough ride.


----------



## agricola (Jul 4, 2008)

editor said:


> Right. So the Mayor is not_ in any way responsible_ for the person he personally hired to be his deputy?
> 
> Nothing to do with him at all. Not his problem. The buck goes somewhere else.



I dont think the buck applies at all, really.  If these are ten-year old "allegations" that havent resulted in anything, then it is a lot different to if he is found guilty of doing something, or even (as it appears) there is an ongoing investigation into a person that would detract from the running of their office (as with Jasper).  

Otherwise you end up in the bizarre situation that just because someone alleged something in the past you are automatically viewed as being guilty and therefore unfit for office.  Its also questionable as to whether Lewis would have to declare (noone else does, iirc) mere allegations when he was being recruited.


----------



## Dhimmi (Jul 4, 2008)

What once he's served his sentence and also paid the money back?


----------



## Melinda (Jul 4, 2008)

BOris to hold an emergency press conference shortly. Place your bets on the outcome please.


----------



## untethered (Jul 4, 2008)

Melinda said:


> BOris to hold an emergency press conference shortly. Place your bets on the outcome please.



Something to do with the chap being unclear about his status as a magistrate (or otherwise), surely too basic an issue to fudge?


----------



## JHE (Jul 4, 2008)

Divisive Cotton said:


> I give him to 4pm tomorrow before he has to resign.



It's well past four and the disobedient Lewis has still not resigned.

You gonna git round and rustle you up a lynchin' pardy?


EDIT:  Fuck!  I spoke too soon!  He's gone!


----------



## Melinda (Jul 4, 2008)

New revelations! Ray Lewis has spoken about his time as a magistrate.  The Dept of Justice has confirmed this afternoon that he has never been a JP. Oh dear. 

Still as far as Walter Mitty's go, he seems to have done really well!


----------



## untethered (Jul 4, 2008)

Melinda said:


> Still as far as Walter Mitty's go, he seems to have done really well!



We haven't had one like this since Ron Davies (allegedly).


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 4, 2008)

Melinda said:


> New revelations! Ray Lewis has spoken about his time as a magistrate.  The Dept of Justice has confirmed this afternoon that he has never been a JP. Oh dear.
> 
> Still as far as Walter Mitty's go, he seems to have done really well!



A JP and magistrate are not the same thing.


----------



## untethered (Jul 4, 2008)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> A JP and magistrate are not the same thing.



In England and Wales they are _exactly _the same thing. 

(Unless you want to get into talking about stipendiary magistrates, which no-one is suggesting.)


----------



## JHE (Jul 4, 2008)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> A JP and magistrate are not the same thing.



Yeah, they are.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 4, 2008)

JHE said:


> Yeah, they are.



Quite right. My mistake. Read JP as DJ.

Sorry. 

As you were with the tory bashing.


----------



## bluestreak (Jul 4, 2008)

So we know he skipped the country to avoid paying back money loaned to him by elderly parishioners to set up a cheap loans thing for the community.

We know he is no longer welcome as an Anglican priest by his Diocese.

We know he lied about his service as a magistrate.

Now what's the sexual stuff?

Most politicians, I think, are psychopaths. They seem to display levels of arrogance and delusion and inability to work as part of a society or community that would result in them being burnt as witches.  Most of them couldn't be trusted to babysit, let alone run the country.  Can't we just hang them all and run it ourselves.  We can't do any worse.


----------



## Melinda (Jul 4, 2008)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Quite right. My mistake. Read JP as DJ.
> 
> Sorry.
> 
> As you were with the tory bashing.


Thank gawd for that!- I was fairly sure they were  

DJ though? 

The press conference has been delayed and contradictory statements being given by press officers- yup Ray's going, nope - no decision has been made yet.  Will it be on News24 ?


----------



## Belushi (Jul 4, 2008)

On C4 news now


----------



## elbows (Jul 4, 2008)

He has resigned.


----------



## Melinda (Jul 4, 2008)

Belushi said:


> On C4 news now


Thanks  

Wow- shanked up by the CofE!


----------



## Melinda (Jul 4, 2008)

fogbat said:


> I was thinking exactly the same thing


----------



## the button (Jul 4, 2008)

Melinda said:


> Thanks
> 
> Wow- shanked up by the CofE!



It's not just wearing "christmas" jumpers and being nice, you know -- some of those anglians can be proper nasty bastards.


----------



## elbows (Jul 4, 2008)

Here is his resignation statement:

http://www.channel4.com/news/articl...wis+resigns+still+denying+wrongdoing+/2316377

Its all the media's fault!

Wow the Tories will be especially seething that he lied about being a magistrate, makes them look proper stupid, har har.


----------



## untethered (Jul 4, 2008)

untethered said:


> We could see an "I've done nothing wrong but the media-led speculation about me has become a distraction from the real issues" resignation in a few weeks if it isn't tied up conclusively one way or the other before then.
> 
> I hate it when they do that.






			
				BBC News said:
			
		

> Mr Lewis said: "I cannot allow the things going on around me to obscure the important business of this very important mayor and for that reason I must step down with immediate affect. (sic)"



I hate it when they do that.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Jul 4, 2008)

Well, what would you expect him to say? "Actually yes I am guilty as sin"?


----------



## stupid kid (Jul 4, 2008)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Well, what would you expect him to say? "Actually yes I am guilty as sin"?



He could start by saying something that doesn't make it seem that he's living in an alternate reality to the rest of us.


----------



## Melinda (Jul 4, 2008)

untethered said:


> I hate it when they do that.


Anyway, he can say what he likes about the media obscuring the real issues, but in a week with 4 deaths and multiple stabbings amongst young people in London, the Mayor's Team were dealing with this bulllshit. 
I bet both Boris and Cameron have had 'facepalm' moments of their own this week!


----------



## Belushi (Jul 4, 2008)

Melinda said:


> I bet both Boris and Cameron have had 'facepalm' moments of their own this week!



I'd have loved to have seen their face when they discovered hed never been a JP


----------



## untethered (Jul 4, 2008)

Melinda said:


> Anyway, he can say what he likes about the media obscuring the real issues, but in a week with 4 deaths and multiple stabbings amongst young people in London, the Mayor's Team were dealing with this bulll-.



But _if_ well-founded, the responsibility for that goes back to Mr Lewis himself.

It's a bit rich to sweep allegations of misconduct under the carpet when taking the job and then complain when the media bring them up in a particularly bad week.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that he got caught out telling an outright and substantial lie today about his "service" as a magistrate. That should be a sacking offence, not a resigning issue.


----------



## untethered (Jul 4, 2008)

Belushi said:


> I'd have loved to have seen their face when they discovered hed never been a JP



Something tells me that he never will be, now.


----------



## pk (Jul 4, 2008)

Innocent until proven Tory.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 4, 2008)

What was Boris' election motto again?

"Change for the better"?


----------



## Melinda (Jul 4, 2008)

Belushi said:


> I'd have loved to have seen their face when they discovered hed never been a JP


Too funny!


----------



## Melinda (Jul 4, 2008)

Belushi said:


> I'd have loved to have seen their face when they discovered hed never been a JP





untethered said:


> But _if_ well-founded, the responsibility for that goes back to Mr Lewis himself.
> 
> It's a bit rich to sweep allegations of misconduct under the carpet when taking the job and then complain when the media bring them up in a particularly bad week.
> 
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that he got caught out telling an outright and substantial lie today about his "service" as a magistrate. That should be a sacking offence, not a resigning issue.


It tickles me when you correct my swearing  Sorry Dad! 

But agreed, its a sacking issue, not a resigning one. 
Whoever does their background checks needs booting out too.


----------



## Divisive Cotton (Jul 4, 2008)

Where the hell did they find this Deputy Mayor?! Did they just grab some black bloke in the street because they felt they needed an ethnic? Actually, yes, I have a pedigree CV in positions of authority...


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jul 4, 2008)

Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## elbows (Jul 5, 2008)

Divisive Cotton said:


> Where the hell did they find this Deputy Mayor?! Did they just grab some black bloke in the street because they felt they needed an ethnic? Actually, yes, I have a pedigree CV in positions of authority...



No they were likely genuine fans of his authoritarian school, and it fitted perfectly with their agenda to tackle knife crime etc.

Im actually more disturbed by what positions of trust & power this bloke was able to gain outside of politics, than that he was able to become a deputy mayor despite some questionable events in his past.

Meanwhile now would be a good time to show repeats of The New Statesman on TV


----------



## elbows (Jul 5, 2008)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah
> Ahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahhaahah



Yes, Ive just been watching this youtube clip of Dave Cameron & Ray Lewis. Not very good footage, but there is entertainment value around the 3 minute 18 second mark when Cameron says that Ray is one of the most inspiring people he has met over recent years as tory leader, and how great it is to have him on Boris's team. Oh and of course Ray welcoming 'my mate Dave' at around 2 mins 42 seconds.


----------



## elbows (Jul 5, 2008)

Mind you I dont find knife crime, youth problems, gang stuff and society failing its young to be funny, so would love to talk about solutions to that, and whether Ray Lewis's solutions were any good. Im hardly a fan of the good old Tory tough love approach, and Ray's school sounded scary to me, but I would also concede that these might actually be solutions that work, just not very nice ones. Why do we have to fail people to such an extent that such tough measures are perceived as necessary to get them back on the road to respectability?


----------



## JHE (Jul 5, 2008)

elbows said:


> No they were likely genuine fans of his authoritarian school, and it fitted perfectly with their agenda to tackle knife crime etc.



Undoubtedly, it was the "school" or project or whatever it was/is and the claims made for it that attracted Johnson and Cameron.  Can anyone point me towards accounts (preferably reliable) of the school/project/whatever?


----------



## isitme (Jul 5, 2008)

everybody in politics is dodgy as fuck

when a dodgy politician is exposed the old saying always spring to mind

"what are you in here for?"

getting caught


----------



## elbows (Jul 5, 2008)

Mayor Johnson 'misled' by deputy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7491084.stm



> The mayor added: "I cannot deny, however, that my confidence in Ray was shaken by the discovery today that he is not a fully fledged Justice of the Peace and I cannot deny that to be misled on this issue has made it harder for me to give Ray the backing necessary to continue in his role as deputy mayor."
> 
> In a press conference at City Hall to announce his resignation, Mr Lewis said: "There was some talk in the press of me being or not being a magistrate.
> "If you are fully paid-up members of the 'hair splitters' convention it will have made a difference to you whether or not I was appointed or recommended for appointment.
> "I've passed all the interviews for it. I've had a letter confirming that I have been recommended for appointment to the board."



Wibble! Later in the BBC story Labour figures are falling over themselves to make the most of the opportunity.

At the end it says 





> But Mr Johnson offered some backing to his former deputy and said: "If Ray Lewis cleared his name then of course I would re-appoint him."


In reality I assume this means it is impossible for Ray to completely clear his name, so he aint never coming back.


----------



## agricola (Jul 5, 2008)

isitme said:


> everybody in politics is dodgy as fuck
> 
> when a dodgy politician is exposed the old saying always spring to mind
> 
> ...



Indeed.  There is (as has been noted) a very Walter Mitty-ish aspect to all this, especially when it is contrasted with the outright corruption of many MPs and MEPs.  Of course, it is also worth noting that many of those people who are condemning him and Boris now were praising him not so long ago...


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 5, 2008)

pk said:


> Innocent until proven Tory.



Tis the will of the urban court.


----------



## the button (Jul 5, 2008)

Poor ol' Boris.


----------



## editor (Jul 5, 2008)

Lying fucker. Another example of Boris's fuckwittery. 

Two of his hand picked cronies out on their arses in *twelve* days.

The quicker we get rid of this incompetent clown the better.


----------



## Maggot (Jul 5, 2008)

The title of this thread is completely inaccurate, there haven't been any sexual allegations at all.


----------



## JHE (Jul 5, 2008)

Maggot said:


> The title of this thread is completely inaccurate, there haven't been any sexual allegations at all.



That's not so.  There were allegations - from his time as a priest - but nobody has clarified what he was accused of.


----------



## Maggot (Jul 5, 2008)

JHE said:


> That's not so.  There were allegations - from his time as a priest - but nobody has clarified what he was accused of.


 Link please.


----------



## editor (Jul 5, 2008)

Who cares? The lying, dodgy tosser has been booted out and it's another indicator of Boris's sheer incompetence.


----------



## JHE (Jul 5, 2008)

Maggot said:


> Link please.



Try Google News:  http://news.google.co.uk/news?hl=en...e=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=news_result&resnum=1&ct=title


----------



## Maggot (Jul 5, 2008)

editor said:


> Who cares? The lying, dodgy tosser has been booted out and it's another indicator of Boris's sheer incompetence.


 So it's ok to put out lies and smears about someone because you don't like them?


----------



## Belushi (Jul 5, 2008)

Maggot said:


> So it's ok to put out lies and smears about someone because you don't like them?



Who's done that?  allegations have been made and they were reported in the news.


----------



## Maggot (Jul 5, 2008)

Belushi said:


> Who's done that?  allegations have been made and they were reported in the news.


 The preson who started this thread has.  

Unspecified allegations from an unknown source - yeah, really reliable.


----------



## JHE (Jul 5, 2008)

Belushi said:


> Who's done that?  allegations have been made and they were reported in the news.



In the case of the sexual allegations, that's not quite true.  It has been reported _that there were_ allegations, but AFAIK the allegations themselves have NOT been reported.  What were the alleged sexual misdeeds?


----------



## agricola (Jul 5, 2008)

editor said:


> Who cares? The lying, dodgy tosser has been booted out and it's another indicator of Boris's sheer incompetence.



Would you rather he held on to dodgy people for far too long like Livingstone did?  As I said earlier, when put against what our elected representatives are getting up to (including the last Mayor's team) this is an eminently minor thing that Lewis has been sacked for.

Besides, given this TimeOut piece Livingstone was as enamoured of him as Boris was:




			
				Ken said:
			
		

> He (Livingstone) rates Lewis as ‘imaginative’, and says he wishes he’d got him on board


----------



## Belushi (Jul 5, 2008)

Maggot said:


> The preson who started this thread has.
> 
> Unspecified allegations from an unknown source - yeah, really reliable.



Eh, you've seen the news reports about it? 

JHE links to one a few posts above yours.


----------



## the button (Jul 5, 2008)

The allegations that tend to reported are the financial ones (already well-covered on this thread), and one of "child cruelty" dating back to 2003, which I'm guessing -- and it is a guess -- is associated with the institution he founded. I've seen nowt sexual, although I'm sure the google hounds are searching as we speak.


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 5, 2008)

oh London, what have you voted in?


----------



## the button (Jul 5, 2008)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...id-damage-to-London-Mayor-Boris-Johnson'.html

Good old _Telegraph_. 



> In 1997, police received a complaint of blackmail, which was not pursued. A female parishioner also told Church authorities she had been sexually harassed by Mr Lewis, who was working as a vicar in east Lodnon.a claim that he has denied?
> 
> His arrest in 2000 followed a complaint by an elderly female parishioner that he had failed to repay a £29,000 loan after moving to the West Indies.
> 
> ...


----------



## agricola (Jul 5, 2008)

You missed the best bit about that Torygraph article:



> There is a sense of irritation in senior Conservative circles at Mr Johnson’s initial decision to stand by his deputy.



Trans: _People might realise it was Dave who was chums with him first._


----------



## the button (Jul 5, 2008)

I must say, that article's very poorly-written and edited.

*fires off angry letter*


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 5, 2008)

agricola said:


> You missed the best bit about that Torygraph article:
> 
> 
> 
> Trans: _People might realise it was Dave who was chums with him first._





How many more disasters before they start slyly distancing Cameron from BoJo one wonders?


----------



## untethered (Jul 5, 2008)

editor said:


> Who cares? The lying, dodgy tosser has been booted out and it's another indicator of Boris's sheer incompetence.



I note you haven't addressed my earlier questions on the nature of Mr Johnson's responsibility.

The only quibble I have over this affair thus far is that Mr Lewis was allowed to resign rather than be sacked. The public is crying out for accountability for senior officials and politicians and a swift and public dismissal would have sent a very strong message that the kind of abuse of office that was tolerated for so long under the previous mayor is now no longer acceptable.

A real missed opportunity.


----------



## Maggot (Jul 5, 2008)

untethered said:


> The public is crying out for accountability for senior officials and politicians and a swift and public dismissal would have sent a very strong message that the kind of abuse of office that was tolerated for so long under the previous mayor is now no longer acceptable.


 What abuse of office was tolerated under Livingstone?  (apart from the unproven allegations against Lee Jasper)


----------



## Cid (Jul 5, 2008)

editor said:


> Who cares? The lying, dodgy tosser has been booted out and it's another indicator of Boris's sheer incompetence.



I can't believe people expected _less_ sleaze from this shower of shits... 

They're _tories_ for fuck's sake, they're like walking sleaze generators.


----------



## the button (Jul 5, 2008)

I must say there's some quite lazy journalism around this story.

_The Independent_, for instance, has the headline "Johnson adviser's sexual past comes back to haunt him," and then has nothing 'sexual' in the story at all, other than saying that there were allegations made while he was a vicar. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...xual-past-comes-back-to-haunt-him-859982.html

Give me the sordid details, you bastards.


----------



## agricola (Jul 5, 2008)

untethered said:


> I note you haven't addressed my earlier questions on the nature of Mr Johnson's responsibility.
> 
> The only quibble I have over this affair thus far is that Mr Lewis was allowed to resign rather than be sacked. The public is crying out for accountability for senior officials and politicians and a swift and public dismissal would have sent a very strong message that the kind of abuse of office that was tolerated for so long under the previous mayor is now no longer acceptable.
> 
> A real missed opportunity.



I disagree with this.  I am sure Lewis was told that, once the JP stuff came to light, that he could either resign or be sacked.

That said though, is no point in holding one politician - in this case Boris - to a standard like that when the rest of them, of nearly all parties, refuse absolutely to follow it (or indeed nearly any actual scrutiny of their affairs - look at what happened to Elizabeth Filkin).  What Lewis did (or was alleged to have done, bearing in mind that the apparent standard is that an allegation has to be made) pales into irrelevancy next to, say, Keith Vaz, or the Wintertons.


----------



## Badgers (Jul 5, 2008)

elbows said:


> Mayor Johnson 'misled' by deputy



I guess that Bozo never bothered to check his two references or read his CV?


----------



## editor (Jul 5, 2008)

untethered said:


> The only quibble I have over this affair thus far is that Mr Lewis was allowed to resign rather than be sacked. The public is crying out for accountability for senior officials and politicians and a swift and public dismissal would have sent a very strong message that the kind of abuse of office that was tolerated for so long under the previous mayor is now no longer acceptable..


Documented examples please.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jul 5, 2008)

agricola said:


> You missed the best bit about that Torygraph article:
> 
> 
> 
> Trans: _People might realise it was Dave who was chums with him first._



I'd say trans: Team Cameron are fuming!


----------



## bristol_citizen (Jul 5, 2008)

*Those sexual allegations*

If you want the sexual allegations then look in the _Mail_:


> He was accused of having sexual relations with two vulnerable parishioners when he was vicar of St. Matthew's church, in West Ham, East London, in the Nineties.
> 
> The women involved, who turned to him for private pastoral advice, did not contact police about the incidents, however they are understood to have informed the diocesan authorities.
> 
> The sexual allegations, which Mr Lewis denies, led to him being banned from preaching for six years.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 5, 2008)

bristol_citizen said:


> If you want the sexual allegations then look in the _Mail_:



Phew. I read that as "two vunlernable pensioners" on first glance...


----------



## stupid kid (Jul 5, 2008)

agricola said:


> Besides, given this TimeOut piece Livingstone was as enamoured of him as Boris was:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



He's certainly fucking imaginative. Imagining ways to run off with people's money and lie about his previous jobs.


----------



## elbows (Jul 6, 2008)

Ha it just keeps getting worse, Ray claimed not to know about being on the church banned list, but now its emerged that he appealed against it (and lost the appeal).

Tory panic!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/06/boris.london1


----------



## detective-boy (Jul 6, 2008)

elbows said:


> Ha it just keeps getting worse, Ray claimed not to know about being on the church banned list, but now its emerged that he appealed against it (and lost the appeal).


Dunno about him being a bit Walter Mitty-ish ... he's an out and out fantasist and / or liar isn't he?


----------



## elbows (Jul 6, 2008)

Well his lies lack credibility or longevity, so he is a crap liar.

I knew someone once who claimed he didnt have to wear a seatbelt because he had a gun license. How I laughed when he was fined for not wearing a seatbelt a few weeks later.


----------



## fogbat (Jul 7, 2008)

So Boris has now cancelled the "full investigation" as he doesn't want to waste taxpayers' money.


----------



## editor (Jul 7, 2008)

fogbat said:


> So Boris has now cancelled the "full investigation" as he doesn't want to waste taxpayers' money.


It's sure beginning to smell like a good ol' fashioned sleazy Tory cover up. 

Even the Daily Mail is unimpressed:


> Boris Johnson has been accused of presiding over a political cover-up, after dropping the inquiry into his former deputy mayor.
> 
> Ray Lewis was facing an investigation into a series of sexual and financial misconduct allegations, as well as claims he lied on his CV.
> 
> ...


The Mail even lists Lewis's roll-call of lies and dossier of dodginess:


> Lewis, 45, resigned on Friday evening after a string of allegations were made about his time working as a vicar in the East End of London and as director of the Eastside Young Leaders Academy for disadvantaged black boys.
> 
> In 1993, when he was vicar of St. Matthew's church in West Ham, he was accused of 'sexually inappropriate behaviour' with two parishioners.
> 
> ...


----------



## nino_savatte (Jul 7, 2008)

I wonder what the _Evil Bastard_ has to say about all of this?


----------



## ovaltina (Jul 7, 2008)

Lordy. Two embarrassing resignations from the Mayor's office within two months.

The national government is heading for an electoral disaster within two years, leaving the way open for PR geek David Cameron to take over.

Surely we deserve more competant politicians than this? Why are they so _crap_?


----------



## bluestreak (Jul 7, 2008)

ovaltina said:


> Surely we deserve more competant politicians than this? Why are they so _crap_?


 
They're not crap.  They're very good at their job, if you assume their job is removing as much money from your pockets as possible and passing it on to the pockets of their sponsors.


----------



## ovaltina (Jul 7, 2008)

nino_savatte said:


> I wonder what the _Evil Bastard_ has to say about all of this?





Evening Boris said:


> Damaged Mayor launches 'fightback' after Ray Lewis affair



And they've already got some lovely readers' comments! 



Evening Boris reader said:


> There are a lot of disgruntled people out to get Boris...they wont succeed, he is good for London. Unlike Ken who saddled uds with the Olympics and goodness knows where the grants he gave out ended up!
> 
> - Jean Matthews, London,England



I despair.


----------



## nino_savatte (Jul 7, 2008)

ovaltina said:


> And they've already got some lovely readers' comments!
> 
> 
> 
> I despair.



Bloody hell! How typical of that shite rag! 

What's the betting that Jean Matthews of London,England is one of their subs?


----------



## ovaltina (Jul 7, 2008)

nino_savatte said:


> What's the betting that Jean Matthews of London,England is one of their subs?



If only! I think the election proved that the suburbs are crammed full of fuckwits who are ready to swallow whatever bullshit the ES prints every day.


----------



## Melinda (Jul 7, 2008)

I wonder it is about this whole thing that tickles me so very much!

I was with a friend from a leading youth charity this weekend, they were in the midst of organising a youth summit on knife crime. Chief guest target- Ray Lewis! 

Piss funny!


----------



## nino_savatte (Jul 7, 2008)

ovaltina said:


> If only! I think the election proved that the suburbs are crammed full of fuckwits who are ready to swallow whatever bullshit the ES prints every day.



True, there are literally armies of them in Bexley and Sidcup.


----------



## tarannau (Jul 7, 2008)

Bless. Associated Newspapers must be spitting. It took them 7 years of dirt-digging crusade to provoke the first resignation from Ken's core team of advisors

Old Bozza, in his endlessly capable way, has had two people rightly resign after a mere two months in office. Marvellous job.


----------



## Melinda (Jul 7, 2008)

I think its the sound of high hopes crashing that amuses me.

Ray Lewis had all the answers!

Oh no! Imagine the irony if he in fact DID have all the answers but has instead mugged himself up?!  :shocked face:


----------



## detective-boy (Jul 7, 2008)

ovaltina said:


> Why are they so _crap_?


Partially because anyone with an ounce of common sense and with a modicum of competence realises that as soon as they stick their head over the parapet it is a green light for everyone they may have everupset about anything to come crawling out of the woodwork to take Fleet Street's shilling; Fleet Street (in their "judge and jury" role) to take it upon themselves to go through their lives with a fine tooth comb and exaggerate any little thing they find to bring someone down if they are crossed and for political opponents to use every aspect of their lives to damage them if they think it'll work.

Who the fuck would open themselves and their families up to that?  Who is totally spotless (bearing in mind that Fleet Street is not averse to dragging up vague moral issues, as well as real ones)?

(As we have seen quite vividly with the withdrawal of Labour's principal candidate for the Glasgow East by-election)


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 7, 2008)

detective-boy said:


> Partially because anyone with an ounce of common sense and with a modicum of competence realises that as soon as they stick their head over the parapet it is a green light for everyone they may have everupset about anything to come crawling out of the woodwork to take Fleet Street's shilling; Fleet Street (in their "judge and jury" role) to take it upon themselves to go through their lives with a fine tooth comb and exaggerate any little thing they find to bring someone down if they are crossed and for political opponents to use every aspect of their lives to damage them if they think it'll work.
> 
> Who the fuck would open themselves and their families up to that?  Who is totally spotless (bearing in mind that Fleet Street is not averse to dragging up vague moral issues, as well as real ones)?
> 
> (As we have seen quite vividly with the withdrawal of Labour's principal candidate for the Glasgow East by-election)



All of that's true.

Doesn't stop Ray Lewis being a chancer and a bullshitter, though does it? And to be honest, REPEATED accusations of fraud and sexual misconduct in someone wanting to be deputy mayor for youth and crime is a bit more than just taking your library books back overdue, isn't it?


----------



## editor (Jul 7, 2008)

detective-boy said:


> Partially because anyone with an ounce of common sense and with a modicum of competence realises that as soon as they stick their head over the parapet it is a green light for everyone they may have everupset about anything to come crawling out of the woodwork to take Fleet Street's shilling; Fleet Street (in their "judge and jury" role) to take it upon themselves to go through their lives with a fine tooth comb and exaggerate any little thing they find to bring someone down if they are crossed and for political opponents to use every aspect of their lives to damage them if they think it'll work.


Sure. But with Lewis there was a ton of seriously dubious stuff in his past that he hadn't mentioned and no one from Boris & Co had bothered to check.

Fraudulently claiming to be a JP is *off the scale* for stupidity and as for Boris's claims of more transparency as mayor, well that's out of the window already too.


----------



## HackneyE9 (Jul 7, 2008)

editor said:


> Sure. But with Lewis there was a ton of seriously dubious stuff in his past that he hadn't mentioned and no one from Boris & Co had bothered to check.
> 
> Fraudulently claiming to be a JP is *off the scale* for stupidity and as for Boris's claims of more transparency as mayor, well that's out of the window already too.



I'll tell you what _is_ transparent, although they'll never admit it. Boris and Co thought, 'fuck me, a black guy willing to work with us, great PR, will counter Boris's unfunny Aryan Beano act.' Let alone not checking his CV, I bet it just didn't even occur to them.


----------



## Sadken (Jul 7, 2008)

Melinda said:


> Oh no! Imagine the irony if he in fact DID have all the answers but has instead mugged himself up?!  :shocked face:



I don't think he had _all_ the answers but certainly some of the stuff I'd seen him talk about made sense to me, although I think he might've been a bit too hardline in some areas, a kind of "I did it, so why can't absolutely everybody else in a similar situation?" philosophy.


----------



## detective-boy (Jul 7, 2008)

HackneyE9 said:


> Doesn't stop Ray Lewis being a chancer and a bullshitter, though does it?


Oh, I'm not saying the exposure of Ray Lewis has been improper - there were actual instances of dodginess, if not dishonesty, and real victims.

I'm just saying that the holier than thou muck-raking of the media, egged on by political opponents, _must_ put many good people off taking public office, meaning that the field is left open for the "professional" politicians, those who really need to get a life and the deluded ... 

(It put me off anyway - after 20 years as a closeted gay man I know that there are more than enough "drop the marmalade" stories out there to keep the Mail busy for months ... not one of which is anything of any real substance, but all of which would be used to destroy me if I was foolish enough to stick my head over the parapet.  It actually contributed to my decision to leave the police, in fact, as if I'd stayed I would have entered the realms of "top cop" likely to attract attention.).


----------



## Melinda (Jul 7, 2008)

Sadken said:


> I don't think he had _all_ the answers but certainly some of the stuff I'd seen him talk about made sense to me, although I think he might've been a bit too hardline in some areas, a kind of "I did it, so why can't absolutely everybody else in a similar situation?" philosophy.


It was just an idle thought Ken  I very much doubt Ray Lewis knows why HE behaves the way he does, let alone being able to deconstruct the complex social, family and personal factors which lead some young people to offend.


----------



## editor (Jul 7, 2008)

detective-boy said:


> I'm just saying that the holier than thou muck-raking of the media, egged on by political opponents, _must_ put many good people off taking public office, meaning that the field is left open for the "professional" politicians, those who really need to get a life and the deluded ...


It speaks volumes of Ken's integrity that despite the best efforts of a massive, well-oiled, multi-billion media machine charged with digging up any dirt they could find on him, they were barely able to muster up a single thing that stuck during his long years in office.

Compare and contrast with Calamity Boris's brief tenure in City Hall.


----------



## detective-boy (Jul 7, 2008)

editor said:


> It speaks volumes of Ken's integrity that despite the best efforts of a massive, well-oiled, multi-billion media machine charged with digging up any dirt they could find on him, they were barely able to muster up a single thing that stuck during his long years in office.


One thing I have always said about Ken is that I am 110% sure that he would not have been enriching himself at any time by any improper actions in any role he has had.  He is simply a political bore who does it for the political power alone (something which is in it's own way a bit scary - I'm not sure his dignity is surviving his David Brent act since being deposed!).  

I can't say the same for many of his cronies but I would be extremely surprised if it ever turned out Ken was guilty of anything other than naivety in his dealings with them.


----------



## Gingerman (Jul 7, 2008)

detective-boy said:


> One thing I have always said about Ken is that I am 110% sure that he would not have been enriching himself at any time by any improper actions in any role he has had.  He is simply a political bore who does it for the political power alone (something which is in it's own way a bit scary - I'm not sure his dignity is surviving his David Brent act since being deposed!).
> 
> I can't say the same for many of his cronies but I would be extremely surprised if it ever turned out Ken was guilty of anything other than naivety in his dealings with them.


Never liked Ken tbh but for all his faults Ive always had him down as being pretty honest,hes never been in it for the money


----------



## elbows (Jul 7, 2008)

detective-boy said:


> (It put me off anyway - after 20 years as a closeted gay man I know that there are more than enough "drop the marmalade" stories out there to keep the Mail busy for months ... not one of which is anything of any real substance, but all of which would be used to destroy me if I was foolish enough to stick my head over the parapet.



Yeah and its probably not just the papers to worry about, but political rivals, party whips or even the intelligence services, depending on exactly what political point you were sticking over the parapet.

I also tend to get rather annoyed at how much information is revealed to the public at opportune moments when the tide is going in the right direction, rather than when the facts actually become known to some people in the media. People go on about how much times have changed since the days when the press used to totally fail to mention certain royal relationships, but Im reasonably sure there are plenty of people who are protected by gentlemans agreement, unless the tide turns against them.

As for Ray Lewis, its not like the tories only got into bed with him when Boris became mayor, the guy has spent years doing 'respectable community things' without his past & possibly questionable methods being really looked at. Hundreds or thousands of blind eyes turning.


----------



## detective-boy (Jul 8, 2008)

elbows said:


> I also tend to get rather annoyed at how much information is revealed to the public at opportune moments when the tide is going in the right direction, rather than when the facts actually become known to some people in the media.


It's their standard MO.  The media all have "bottom drawers" stuffed with all sorts of shite about all sorts of people, just waiting for the day when they cross them / when there are more papers to be sold by doing their legs rather than letting them continue.  Ask _any_ journalist!


----------



## sihhi (Jun 21, 2010)

The new politics hits London! Ray Lewis returns!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/10312138.stm

No enquiry, no inevstigation, no restriction of opportunities for future cronyism.


----------

