KEN LIVINGSTONE's "cry" is spreading it Paul Dacre's laird at the Daily Mail
For evidential reference, the following item has been retrieved from the London Daily Mail web site at appx 1905 Hrs GMT London Saturday 14 April 2012:
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Red Ken and the truth about video that reduced him to tears ('Real' Londoners were actors and he had watched video before)
- He is forced to admit that Labour activists were paid expenses to star in his own party political broadcast
- Mr Livingstone is already trailing Boris Johnson in the race for City Hall because of his alleged tax affairs
By GERRI PEEV
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Ken Livingstone was accused by his own party of crying 'crocodile tears' after it emerged that a political broadcast that made him weep used paid 'supporters’ reading from a script.
The Labour mayoral candidate wept at a screening of his advert featuring 28 unnamed Londoners spelling out why the capital needed Mr Livingstone back in charge.
He had described the saccharine production as a 'real tearjerker'. Labour leader Ed Miliband even patted his shoulder to console the former mayor as he rubbed his eyes during the screening on Wednesday.
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Red-eyed: Ken Livingstone, Labour's London mayoral candidate, cried during a screening of his own mayoral promotional video on Tuesday but admitted they were paid and read from a script he had already seen
On camera: One of Ken's 'supporters' who brought tears to his eyes but it was revealed they read from scripts
Ken's army: The election broadcast featured Londoners who said they were behind the mayoral candidate
In reality, Mr Livingstone had seen the film the night before, raising questions about why he was apparently caught off-guard. Last night Labour admitted that the 'ordinary Londoners' had actually been reading from a script.
They were also paid expenses for their time after the advertising agency BETC hired people from the street.
It is also believed one of the 'actors’ is a paid-up member of the Labour Party. The advertisement was created by film-maker Johnny Maginn of Mustard Films.
At the beginning of the broadcast, Mr Livingstone sits behind a desk and says: 'We’ve all seen party political broadcasts before but this one’s a bit different.
'It’s a political broadcast on behalf of ordinary Londoners.’
While political parties regularly use scripts for their advertisements, Labour supporters rebuked Mr Livingstone for apparently pretending to cry.
Shedding tears: Mr Livingstone rubs his eyes as party leader Ed Miliband looks on. Mr Miliband was seen patting the 66-year-old's back after he welled up
Overwhelmed: The Labour candidate for Mayor of London applauds with tears in his eyes as he views his own promotional video
The grassroots website Labour Uncut concluded that either Mr Livingstone's tears were fake or 'he was moved to tears listening to sweet words of flattery that he had practically written himself'.
Labour Uncut's associate editor, Atul Hatwal, added: 'Whether it's tax avoidance, relations with the Jewish community or crocodile tears, this election has virtually become a referendum on Ken Livingstone.
'There's no space in the debate for policies or issues, just the one, overweening flawed personality.'
The 'ordinary Londoners' were paid expenses for their time after the advertising agency BETC hired them
'Come on Ken': The film shows a montage of people - none are named - urging Mr Livingstone to win
Labour supporter or actor?: Labour bloggers suggested that everyone in the film was in fact acting
Down in the mouth: Mr Livingstone, right, is joined on stage by an equally gloomy-looking Ed Miliband, and this latest gaffe could further damage his election campaign
A spokesman for Mr Livingstone said those appearing in the 'party political broadcast are ordinary Londoners who are backing Ken on May 3'.
He added: 'No actors were used in the broadcast.'
The campaign team confirmed that those who took part were recruited by the advertising agency and paid expenses.
The 66-year-old's bid to win back the London mayoralty from Tory Boris Johnson has so far been buffeted by controversy. Mr Livingstone was plunged into a race row after saying 'rich Jews' would not vote for him.
The former MP was also damaged by revelations that he paid himself through a limited company, potentially reducing the tax on his income.
Research for Taxation Magazine by experts TolleyGuidance suggested Mr Livingstone paid nearly £78,000 less tax during the three years to June 2011 by putting his income through a private firm.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2129344/Ken-Livingstones-real-Londoners-actors-watched-video-before.html#ixzz1s2kxQgYS
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