• Question by: Trevor Phillips
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

TREVOR PHILLIPS: I think that is it. Is there anything else you would like to say Ken? KEN LIVINGSTONE: No. TREVOR PHILLIPS: Well you know you have never been known to miss an opportunity before so I just thought I would check. Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. Now before we do anything else I would like to put it to the Members: is there any Member who wishes to move a motion, procedural or otherwise? No. Well, let me just say at the end of this that it is interesting when other democratic chambers seem less and less relevant...

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

Did you speak to Mr Hedges yourself on the phone?

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

I just wanted to respond to one of the points that Jenny Jones made and go back to the question of the Standards Board. Jenny said you have to have evidence to do this. May I just say that the Evening Standard says that it has evidence and it does not have to be a member of this Assembly that refers to the Standards Board. Any member of the public and for that matter the editor of the Evening Standard in this particular case can refer it to the Standards Board, and I return to them and that is what...

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

There was absolutely nothing in your behaviour that you regret?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

You come over as Mr Innocent in this and I thank you for that explanation. If you are not prepared to sue the Evening Standard or take what would be the obvious step then I suppose, in the court of your conscience, do you feel that there was anything in your behaviour that has brought this authority into disrepute and do you feel there is anything you should apologise to London for?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

It has not put you off reapplying then?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

Thank you very much for the detailed statement. I did suggest to the other Assembly Members yesterday that we actually get you and Emma to act out a reconstruction, Crimewatch style, but they were not too keen on that although it transpires we got a very detailed statement from you anyway. Do you expect your readmission to the Labour Party to proceed smoothly now?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

Or alternatively, you could reflect upon your previous experience with the courts and conclude that perhaps a jury in a defamation action might be able to come to a view, given in mind that the qualitative difference as Graham Tope observes is worlds apart here, is it not? This is not the paparazzi, these are not the fantasies of Private Eye. If this is right this is a concerted abuse of power by the media or on the other hand an abuse of office by you. Why not litigate that?

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

You said just now that if any Standards Board or for that matter the police were to speak to people at the party there will be different recollections, different stories, different statements. Earlier on you actually - when you describe them as outright liars - you said there was no scope for confusion. Now you are suggesting that, I think quite rightly, that at 1.30 in a party a month ago there is scope for confusion because people have different recollections. And I come back to the point, does this not need to be resolved rather than just let to...

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 26 March 2003

Did you speak to the police or to the ambulance men?