Ken Livingstone’s claims that comments by Roger Evans on his personal website represent Conservative policy are somewhat disingenuous.
Anyone reading the full comment can see that Evans speaking in a personal capacity, wasn’t articulating a formal policy and certainly wasn’t speaking in his capacity as Deputy Chair of the London Assembly’s transport committee.
However the Mayor’s response and decision to launch an entire media operation over the comments should serve as a wake up call to those Tory members who repeatedly claim Livingstone can be beaten by far less media savvy candidates.
On sites such as Conservative Home hitherto unknown candidates are put forward by a small but regular contingent of people who underestimate the challenge of unseating the incumbent.
But for the electoral deficit a weak Tory contender would cause the claims made for certain candidates would be as laughable as the recent magazine poll claiming David Cameron was setting the agenda in London.
This episode should serve as a stark warning as to the naivety of those beliefs. The time for debating the merits of an abolitionist candidate or which Kensington Councillor would make the better sacrificial lamb really has passed, the Tories need to bring out a big beast and do it soon.
