Mayor watered down office romance rules

Ken Livingstoneis to escape a probe into why he watered down rules against office romances just months before he began dating his own secretary.

The Mayor, 57, personally vetoed a clause in his staff 's draft code of conduct which recommended office relationships should be "avoided".

His objection, which led to the clause being scrapped, was made last July - four months before the disclosure of his own relationship with Emma Beal, 36. Political rivals have now called for an investigation into whether he had his own private life in mind when he asked for the alteration.

But today members of the London Assembly, who also backed the change to the code, said they felt such an inquiry was unjustified.

Green Party member Jenny Jones, who chairs the assembly's standards committee, said: "We all felt a rule preventing relationships within the office was rather too prescriptive and a bit silly. Whatever Mr Livingstone's motives at the time, he said the right thing."

The original code, which would have covered all the Greater London Authority's officers and politicians alike, said: "Close personal familiarity (e.g. personal friendships, sexual relationships or regular social interaction) can damage the working relationship and prove embarrassing to colleagues and should be avoided."

A memo sent on behalf of Mr Livingstone observed: "The Mayor feels the culture of the organisation should be positive and should recognise that close working relationships do develop and need not be problematic." The GLA agreed and revised the code, with the proviso that staff who dated each other should not discuss "confidential" work matters.

London MP John Wilkinson, Tory member for Ruislip Northwood, called for an inquiry. He told the Mail on Sunday: "It seems there is a prima facie case that the Mayor has been misusing his power."

A spokesman for Mr Livingstone said: "The changes were agreed to by the standards committee. We do not comment on the Mayor's personal life."