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Ken Livingstone says shadow minister 'may need psychiatric help' Ken Livingstone defies calls to say sorry for 'may need psychiatric help' remark
(about 1 hour later)
The row over Ken Livingstone’s appointment to Labour’s defence review has exploded after he said a shadow minister who criticised his appointment “might need some psychiatric help”. Ken Livingstone has declined four times to retract his suggestion that a shadow defence minister “might need some psychiatric help”, despite Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn demanding that he apologise.
Livingstone, the former mayor of London, made the comments about the shadow defence minister, Kevan Jones, who has suffered from depression. The row broke out after Livingstone, who opposes renewing Trident, was appointed to co-convene Labour’s defence review – a move that was questioned by Kevan Jones, a shadow defence minister.
Jones had questioned whether the anti-Trident Livingstone was the right person to lead the defence review with Maria Eagle, the shadow defence secretary, who has expressed support for renewing the nuclear deterrent. Asked about Jones, Livingstone told the Mirror: “I think he might need some psychiatric help. He’s obviously very depressed and disturbed … He should pop off and see his GP before he makes these offensive comments.”
Jones has in the past spoken publicly about suffering from mental illness in 1996. Jones, who has spoken of his experience of depression in 1996, said he found the comments gravely offensive “not just personally but also to the many thousands who suffer from mental illness”.
“I think he might need some psychiatric help. He’s obviously very depressed and disturbed,” Livingstone told the Mirror. “He should pop off and see his GP before he makes these offensive comments.” He told the Guardian that Livingstone was not fit to hold any position of responsibility in the Labour party.
Jones said : “I find these comments gravely offensive not just personally but also to the many thousands who suffer from mental illness.” “I along with Jeremy have worked very hard in parliament to try and raise the problem of the stigma of mental illness. Ken Livingstone’s comments are disgraceful in the sense that because you have a political difference you shouldn’t use mental illness as a tool against someone,” he said.
Afterwards, Livingstone told the Evening Standard he had not been aware Jones had suffered from depression, and said he had never heard of him. “That is not acceptable in this day and age. Those type of tactics should stay in the dark ages where they belong. I don’t think anyone who holds the views he does in terms of mental illness is fit to be a person that represents the Labour party.”
The Standard reported Livingstone as saying: “He was complaining about my defence appointment. It doesn’t matter what disorders he’s got, he doesn’t have the right to be rude ... to be constantly undermining Jeremy Corbyn” Afterwards, Livingstone told the Evening Standard he had not been aware Jones had had depression, but refused to retract his comments.
Livingstone’s comments are likely to escalate the row over his appointment to the defence review, which he announced on Sunday night. His appointment to the post has been taken as a sign that the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is intensifying his efforts to drop his party’s support for Trident. The Standard reported Livingstone as saying: “He was complaining about my defence appointment. It doesn’t matter what disorders he’s got, he doesn’t have the right to be rude … to be constantly undermining Jeremy Corbyn.”
Eagle infuriated Corbyn recently when she backed Gen Sir Nicholas Houghton, the chief of the defence staff, after he questioned the Labour leader’s statement that he would never endorse the use of Trident. He then repeatedly declined to say sorry for the remarks on LBC, saying: “He was rude about me, I was rude back to him. He needs to get over it.” However, he did say that he would not have made the comments if he had known Jones had had depression.
Livingstone, an ally of Corbyn, will jointly oversee the defence review in his capacity as a member of Labour’s national executive committee. At the same time, a spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn released a statement saying: “Jeremy is incredibly concerned that people with mental health problems shouldn’t be stigmatised. He has worked with Kevan in the past on this issue and is impressed by his bravery in speaking out on his own mental health issues. Ken should apologise to him straight away.”
But source close to Eagle: “Maria and Ken are co-convening the review and Maria will still be leading it as was outlined by Jeremy at conference. Trident will be just one of many issues the review will look at; there isn’t a separate review.” Luciana Berger, the shadow mental health secretary, said Livingstone’s comments were unacceptable, appalling and should be retracted.
“These comments should be treated as seriously as racism or sexism,” she said.
Livingstone’s comments are likely to escalate the row over his appointment to the defence review, alongside shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle, which he announced on Sunday night.
His appointment to the post has been taken as a sign that Corbyn is intensifying his efforts to drop his party’s support for Trident.
Eagle infuriated Corbyn recently when she backed General Sir Nicholas Houghton, the chief of the defence staff, after he questioned the Labour leader’s statement that he would never endorse the use of Trident.
Livingstone, an ally of Corbyn, has previously called Eagle “mad” in an interview on Russia Today for her comments that appeared to back Houghton’s position.
There have been reports that Eagle was not told about Livingstone’s appointment before it appeared on Twitter, but a source close to the shadow cabinet minister denied suggestions she was poised to resign.
The source said: “Maria and Ken are co-convening the review and Maria will still be leading it as was outlined by Jeremy at conference. Trident will be just one of many issues the review will look at; there isn’t a separate review.”
Livingstone told the Guardian, prior to the publication of his comments about Jones, that some New Labour MPs had fallen into a “great depression” since Corbyn’s victory in September’s leadership contest.“Far too many of the old New Labour Blairites believe their government was the high point of human civilisation and are traumatised by the enormous defeat of their candidate Liz Kendall and have fallen into a great depression,” he said.“What is interesting is that we don’t have to pay much attention to the PLP. It is full of people undermining Jeremy, but it doesn’t matter as much now we have a growing membership,” he said.He dismissed criticisms that he was going into the defence review with pre-conceived ideas on Trident, despite footage recorded two days ago by Russia Today which showed him saying Eagle was “mad” if she really believed it was worth spending money on.“My approach has always been ‘what are the facts’. Don’t come with pre-conceived ideas. Let us have a look at what the facts are. Is this the best way to spend our military budget? We will be working together on all this. And hopefully we can come to a consensus,” he said.
Corbyn had hoped to take steps towards dropping Labour’s support for Trident at this year’s Labour conference but a bid to hold a vote failed after he could not win the support of the major trade unions.Corbyn had hoped to take steps towards dropping Labour’s support for Trident at this year’s Labour conference but a bid to hold a vote failed after he could not win the support of the major trade unions.
Corbyn is hoping the defence review will lead to a change of policy at Labour’s national policy forum. The leadership believes the appointment of Livingstone will create a balanced ticket with Eagle in the hope of finding common ground on Trident.Corbyn is hoping the defence review will lead to a change of policy at Labour’s national policy forum. The leadership believes the appointment of Livingstone will create a balanced ticket with Eagle in the hope of finding common ground on Trident.
But Labour may face an earlier challenge on Trident. The SNP is planning to hold a Commons vote on Trident next week. Labour is still officially in favour of Trident, raising the prospect that frontbenchers could vote in different ways. The Labour leadership is understood to be pressing for Labour MPs to abstain on the grounds that the party’s policy is under review and the real vote on Trident will come in the “maingate” decision next year. But Labour might face an earlier challenge on Trident. The SNP is planning to hold a Commons vote on Trident next week. Labour is still officially in favour of Trident, raising the prospect that frontbenchers could vote in different ways. The Labour leadership is understood to be pressing for its MPs to abstain on the grounds that the party’s policy is under review and the real vote on Trident will come in the “maingate” decision next year.
Livingstone threw his weight behind Corbyn on Tuesday when he supported his call for any extension of RAF airstrikes against Islamic State into Syria to be agreed by the UN. Livingstone told the PM programme on BBC Radio 4: “Britain and America are so discredited because of our record in Afghanistan and Iraq. This has got to be a UN-led coalition. We need to bring on board countries like China, Nigeria, Brazil. It can’t just be seen as Britain and America interfering in the Middle East again.”Livingstone threw his weight behind Corbyn on Tuesday when he supported his call for any extension of RAF airstrikes against Islamic State into Syria to be agreed by the UN. Livingstone told the PM programme on BBC Radio 4: “Britain and America are so discredited because of our record in Afghanistan and Iraq. This has got to be a UN-led coalition. We need to bring on board countries like China, Nigeria, Brazil. It can’t just be seen as Britain and America interfering in the Middle East again.”
Asked whether he would support the strikes if a UN security council resolution were agreed, Livingstone said: “Of course, because Isis is an absolutely horrendous organisation. It’s not just the threat they pose to us here in London, but it is the appalling regime they inflict on people living in Syria and Iraq, beheading them, raping their women. They should be defeated, they should be overthrown. But it has got to be a UN-led coalition. It can’t just be the west interfering again.”Asked whether he would support the strikes if a UN security council resolution were agreed, Livingstone said: “Of course, because Isis is an absolutely horrendous organisation. It’s not just the threat they pose to us here in London, but it is the appalling regime they inflict on people living in Syria and Iraq, beheading them, raping their women. They should be defeated, they should be overthrown. But it has got to be a UN-led coalition. It can’t just be the west interfering again.”
Tensions within the Labour party have burst into the open after a succession of MPs, including two frontbenchers, openly challenged Corbyn’s authority in the House of Commons over his response to the Islamic State threat.Tensions within the Labour party have burst into the open after a succession of MPs, including two frontbenchers, openly challenged Corbyn’s authority in the House of Commons over his response to the Islamic State threat.