The Standard is now reporting that the Bishop of Barking did not, in fact, converse with the Mayor on Ray Lewis’s mysterious misdeeds. The Reverend Chris Newlands, chaplain to the Bishop of Chelmsford, which includes the Barking diocese, has said that:
“I had a conversation with the Bishop of Barking and that is what he told me [that the Bishop had a conversation with Mr Johnson about Mr Lewis] and that is what I reported. But when the Mayor questioned him [about the conversation], I went back to the bishop and he said he didn’t think he did.”
The Bishop’s warning, it is claimed, was a minimal one.
“The Church now admits the only warning it gave to Mr Johnson was in a letter sent on 13 May, headed “Global day of Prayer”. In the sixth paragraph, Bishop Hawkins wrote: “As you probably know your deputy mayor Ray Lewis was a Church of England clergyman in my Episcopal area in the Nineties. He is no longer serving in authorised ministry in the Church of England. If at any point you wish to speak to me about this do be in touch.”
A ’senior Tory’ has said that “the Church were careless and indeed, dare I say, reckless” and has claimed that “the only thing [Boris and the Bishop] did was exchange pleasantries”.
There’ll be more later, I don’t doubt.
Update: Dave Hill, as ever, has more.
(I’ve switched the last two posts around so that the news of the day takes precedence.)
Tags: 8 Comments
8 responses so far ↓
Is the Mayor running London or fif faffing around with answering questions about the church and Ray Lewis. There are better and far more important things to think about.
19th young kid died today of a stabbing.
“Is the Mayor running London”
All signs suggest…no.
“There are better and far more important things to think about.”
As I’ve said in the previous Ray Lewis thread, the incompetence displayed during the course of these events should be investigated. With such serious issues as knife crime, it is imperative, I’m sure you’ll agree, to avoid gratuitous errors.
“19th young kid died today of a stabbing.”
Tremendously saddening, and it’s important to that a successor to Ray Lewis is found. I have also argued here* that an assessment of strategy is needed following recent events.
http://www.boriswatch.co.uk/2008/07/05/knife-crime-squad-unleashed/
“All signs suggest…no.”
So your living in a city that is not being run properly because you and your like are not letting him get on with it.
This was happening when our great communist leader was in power and it was completely ignored, or at least there was no Ken Watch, or was there?
And please don’t say that was down to the Evening Standard.
Actually, Chunters, refusing to scrutinise a leader because it was their job to a lead was a marked characteristic of Soviet-style Communism. So, we can presume you liked our “great communist leader”?
Boris really should be able to take criticism and carry on work at the same time. I do hate to point this out, but there’s more than one person in City Hall, and he claims to believe in delegation. That he can’t cope with two concurrent events perhaps suggests he’s not very good at it.
“Actually, Chunters, refusing to scrutinise a leader because it was their job to a lead was a marked characteristic of Soviet-style Communism. So, we can presume you liked our “great communist leader”?”
LEE JASPER!
Nothing was brought up about him for months or even years. So ignoring Jasper is what your on about?
Lee Jasper is neither here nor there, comrade. You asserted that the Mayor couldn’t do his job because he’s being scrutinised. The implication is that you’d prefer Mayors to be as poorly scrutinised as Soviet leaders. Rendering accusations of communism rather ironic at best.
As it is, yes, I’d have preferred it had Lee Jasper been flagged earlier. However, that was then, and this is now. Note that neither you, nor I, can do anything about the past. We can, on the other hand, do something about now. Which means watching Boris.
Perfectly stated, Contrarian.
Was Lewis aware. That’s what matters.