Good Riddance

At long last Ken's key crony has decided to resign. Now I must admit when I first heard this news last I was quite pleased. However, I then started to think, why now?

Ken has been leading the GLA much like Gordon Brown runs the cabinet, with the failure to deal with incompetence, and allowing members of their repective teams to continue in their posts despite accusations of sleaze and corruption. So it hasn't been surprising that Ken has stuck by his man, it's the Labour way after all. Unlike the Tories who not only sack them, but kick them out of the party as is in the case of Derek Conway. Anyway, I digress.

The allegations around Lee Jasper have been circulating around City Hall for quite some time, so why now? My first thoughts were that the Mayoral elections are officially due to start in a couple of weeks, and this issue has been like hanging around Livingstone's neck like an Albatross. It would have massively damaged his campaign. But then I started thinking, and remembered that Ken had challenged the London Assembly members to put the allegations to Lee Jasper, and question him on them, which he was due to do this week.

What perfect timing for a resignation, now Jasper is no longer an employee of City Hall, he no longer has to face that questioning, how very convienient. It was bad enough that Ken failed to show any leadership and kick the man out himself, but the timing of this resignation will just add more fuel to the fire, with people wondering what he had to hide.

At least he's gone though.