'Voters no longer respect Ken'

Two London Assembly members have spoken out against Ken Livingstone following his involvement in a drunken tussle after which a partygoer was injured falling 15 feet down a stairwell.

The four political groups are officially trying to avoid public comment on the affair, but Lib-Dem Lynne Featherstone said the Mayor should be more mindful of his behaviour.

"I do not think Ken should go, but I think he should have a think about how he wants to be remembered," she said. "Does he want to be remembered as the Mayor who delivered a world-class transport system, or as the Mayor who had a riotous time at parties?" She added: "Perhaps impending fatherhood will help him mature."

Tory member Tony Arbour also broke ranks, saying: "I think the public like a mayor with a common touch, but they also like a mayor who they can respect. I think that after this event he is no longer someone whom Londoners can respect, or want to have representing them." The comments follow Friday's report in the Evening Standard of how, at the party in Tufnell Park last month, the Mayor had a tussle with Robin Hedges, 35, seconds before Mr Hedges fell down a stairwell and sustained serious head, back and hip injuries.

Witnesses said the Mayor shouted abuse at fellow partygoers and disappeared before police arrived having been alerted to a "fight in progress". The Mayor is also said to have frogmarched girlfriend Emma Beal through the streets "in a fury".

It is understood questions about the affair will be ruled out of order during the Assembly's regular Question Time session with the Mayor on Wednesday because members believe they are irrelevant.

Enemies of Mr Livingstone believe he could be fatally damaged by controversies in his private life but remain determined he should fall under his own weight. They feel any attempt to whip up ill feeling against him could backfire on them.

Nevertheless, the accusations may cause the mayor some damage with sceptical sections of the electorate. He has spoken out against the drunken loutish behaviour of football hooligans and anti capitalism protesters.

Allied to political controversies such as the congestion charge, it could mean he is not as attractive a proposition as when he romped to victory in the mayoral elections two years ago.

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