In the least gobsmacking news in recent history, the ‘Forensic’ ‘Audit’ ‘Panel’ are today publishing their ‘investigation’s’ findings, which appear to amount to very little, but predictably that’s not how they’ve spun them in advance to right-wing ‘newspaper’ the Telegraph.
The Tory Troll gives the story the coverage it deserves.
Update: Lee Jasper has responded to the ‘findings’, in the comments.
Tags: bias · blogs · forensic audit panel · media · spin8 Comments
8 responses so far ↓
BBC London News also regurgitates this story completely uncritically and with no attempt at balanced reporting. I have sent them a comment but I wonder if it should be escalated to BBC Complaints. At best it’s incredibly lazy and incompetent reporting.
Mr. Lee Jasper
Press Release 15 July 2008.
Mayor’s report finds no evidence of fraud, corruption or cronyism.
In relation to Boris Johnsons Forensic Audit Panel (FAP) report published today Lee Jasper issued the following statement.
“ I have always maintained that I was innocent of the scandalous and malicious allegations made against me by the media and in particular the Evening Standard. My professional and political integrity and reputation have been badly damaged by these false allegations. My good name has been dragged through mud and both I am and my family have endured a high tech media lynching.
I contend that this panel finding on ‘ wasted millions’ is nothing more than political posturing and constitutes another attack on the black community of London. Put simply this Tory dominated panel in talking about waste are referring to black organisations and no doubt we can look forward to more cuts in black voluntary funding by the London Development Agency,
The Evening Standard along with other media promoted this racist campaign and the London Conservatives prosecuted the case. ALL salivated at the racial dynamic and the short-term political capital that could be gained by seeking to demonise London’s Black community and a high profile black man witiihin the Livingstone administration. In doing so they simply considered the black community no more than collateral damage in conducting their dirty war to win the elections.
The damage done and the implications that flow from it will reverberate throughout this Mayoralty.
I would like to thank all those thousands of people who have offered and provided much needed support to my family and I throughout this difficult period.
This report constitutes the fifth in depth public scrutiny looking at the serious allegations and issues raised by the Evening Standard and their investigative reporter Andrew Gilligan.
These articles were largely based on a number of emails that were stolen from the Mayor’s Office.
The essence and strong implication of these articles is best summed up by the Evening Standard’s front-page headline of the 5th December 2007 ‘ Ken’s Aide and the missing millions’. What followed was a deluge of front-page articles making over 17 individual allegations.
In short The Evening Standard had alleged that the London Development Agency awarded contracts and funding to organisation’s because of their personal friendships with me or because of inappropriate interference by myself. Further that these organizations having received public funds could not properly account for the monies they had received.
The FAP having conducted a forensic financial audit and has re examined all of the issues relating to the Standards false accusations of ‘fraud’ and ‘ cronyism’.
On this substantive point the FAP report is absolutely clear in its findings. After conducting their forensic financial analysis they have failed to find any evidence whatsoever of fraudulent activity on my part nor have they found any evidence that I unduly influenced LDA decisions. I have always maintained my innocence of the false charges made by the Evening Standard and prosecuted by London Conservatives and Boris Johnson.
This ‘ independent’ investigation has been far from independent. The Chair Patience Wheatcroft is a member of the Conservative Party. The other panel members, Stephen Greenhalgh, Edward Lister and Patrick Frederick are all members of the Conservative Party. He fifth member is an employee of PWC employed by Boris Johnson to work for the panel.
I contend that this panel finding on ‘ wasted millions’ constitutes a party political witchunt. The Tories are talking about black groups and they should say so.
As well as the obvious lack of impartiality I find it deeply ironic that the son of the Chair of the FAP, A Mr. Kelham Salter, has been appointed to a post in the GLA and that a member of the Panel is an employee of a firm contracted by the panel to investigate these issues at a cost of over £50,000.”
End .
Tode, totally agree on the BBC London issue. I was late for work as Ken phoned the Vanessa show this morning.
In my opinion he was not tough enough with her over the reporting of this story, and her failure to grasp the ‘wasted millions’ comment had no backing in actual fact.
This is most definitely a political witchunt. The Johnson administration wants to get over the fact they beat him and actually get on with running the place (into the ground as they intend)
“Tens of millions of pounds of public money were squandered by Ken Livingstone’s development agency, a report says today” says the Standard.
Where does it say that in the report? Answer: nowhere.
The whole report is a sadly all too believable waste of money. £50,000 poured down the drain. Sycophantic reporting from the Standard, as expected (I didn’t see BBC London News).
If these last two months are anything to go by, the next four years are going to be unfathomably awful.
Here is my favourite section of the FAP report, inserted on page 51:
“There is some anecdotal evidence that the previous Chief Executive congratulated people who spent up to budget in the year”
For those who don’t see how ridiculous it is to print those words within what should be a respectable official report, I thought I would provide a dictionary definition of ‘anecdotal evidence’:
“An informal form of hearsay obtained from random sources and having no legal basis.”
Additionally:
“We suspect that projects may have benefited also from this desire to use up the budget.”
Suspect? In an official report the panel decide that guessing is appropriate.
Brilliant.
My attention was also drawn to page 26 in which the panel points out that the new administration “could generate substantial savings, particularly if entire
events such as the ‘Rise Festival’ were cancelled”.
Well I suppose that’s one way of avoiding the same problem next year.
You mean that you require an enhanced methodological process?
Why, you…you conspiracy theorist.
[...] including the Thatcherite ultras at Hammersmith and Fulham, whose well-fed leader previously helped Boris’s ludicrous ‘Forensic Audit Panel’ find damning evidence of nothing much at [...]