November 2007

Words fail mayor as Boris looms

Maybe the fight to elect London’s next mayor could be turning dirty.

The audience at London’s Disability Capital conference were slightly miffed when the induction loop system and video monitors simultaneously failed during Ken Livingstone’s speech.

No reports, though, of any supporters of the mayor’s chief election rival, celebrity Tory Boris Johnson, being seen near the plug sockets.

Fortunately, Sir Bert Massie threatened to entertain the audience with his extensive knowledge of Liverpool Football Club and the technical hitch was soon put right…

Ken’s new neighbour a bitter Phil to swallow

The technical mishaps at the mayor’s conference were not the only thing that will have been disrupting his peace of mind last month.

Much has been written about his frosty relationship with Trevor Phillips, the new chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Now maybe the duo will have a chance to get to know each other a little better.

The commission’s new offices are near Tower Bridge on London’s South Bank – right next door to City Hall, Livingstone’s own HQ.

Pub’s smoking gun

Interesting to see where landlords’ sympathies lie when it comes to two persecuted minorities – smokers and disabled people.

Following the new smoking laws, a pub in Lancashire erected a gazebo in its carpark, and proudly announced that it had “kindly provided a covered area” for smokers.

Unfortunately, they kindly erected the gazebo over one of the carpark’s two accessible parking spaces.