Click on image to enlargeI always like to help someone who's down on their luck, so I thought I would bring you the opportunity to book Ken Livingstone for your firm's away day after dinner speech. He hasn't wasted much time in getting on the speaking circuit, and who can blame him? With Boris now out of the market Ken has niftily filled the gap. Expect him to trouser at least £10,000 per speech, most of which he will be donating to charity. Or not.
26 comments:
Purely out of interest, Iain, how much do you pocket for your little sideshow?
I'm sure some of the Labour faithful would be happy to contribue to his early pension. He's probably the only person left in the party who actually stands for something - even though he stands for all the wrong things like communism, cronyism, terrorism, deceit, inefficiency....
Hardly a surprising move by Ken Livingstone, especially considering the former Mayor registered earning between £30,001-£35,000 from Speakers for Business in May 2002.
Iain, I'm no fan of Ken but you could have a bit more grace in victory old boy.
Jonathan, that's between me and the taxman, but it's a fraction of what it should be!
If you ever get elected to anything maybe you can charge that much too.
A politician living up to one of his election promises, I see. And he wasn't even voted in.
The only charity Red Ken supports is himself.
Bloody hell - I took that picture of Ken!
Speakers for Business have lifted it from the website I run - compare with
http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/2930
The picture was taken during one of Livingstone's press conferences last July.
James, how the devil are you? What are you up to nowadays? Drop me an email!
Would you rather that he signed on?
Ken and his politics are not to my liking, however, I would love to hear him speak about his time in the GLC and as London Mayor.
I would love to hear him explain how he managed to force through his coup against the elected leader of the GLC, and if the tactics he and his supporters used then could be updated and used to get rid of Gordon.
Does that estimate take into account the commission to the speaker bureau?
They don't usually tend to work on a 10% basis - as I'm sure you've discovered!
James Hatts said...
"Bloody hell - I took that picture of Ken!
The picture was taken during one of Livingstone's press conferences last July."
Someone owes you a copyright fee.
David Lindsay said...
Would you rather that he signed on?
He wouldn't be allowed to claim anything for yonks, David.
First because he will presumably still be on the Mayoral payroll - he must have some pay for May, holiday and notice pay to come.
Second, because if he signs on he would presumably be suspended for losing his job "voluntarily without just cause" due to gross misconduct :)
Expect him to trouser at least £10,000 per speech, most of which he will be donating to charity. Or not.
Seriously Iain how much have various Tory MPs earned on the after dinner speaking circuit and how much in % terms of that money has ever gone to charity...??
Why should he donate any of it to charity? What's it got to do with you?
Is that the only thing you could be arsed to come up with to smear him with? That he *probably* doesn't give any to charity.
You're getting lazy Iain.
I don't care what Ken or yourself charge for speaking, you're right, that is between yourselves and the taxman but seeing as you've brought it up, what percentage of your speaking fees do you give to charity?
And I am neither a fan of Ken or Boris.
I didn't say he should give any of it to charity. I do find it amusing, though, that he was the first to slag off Boris for his extra curricular activities when he was already signed up with this agency himself.
As for my own charitable donations, they have F all to do with you. But since you asked, I give to a single charity - and it's a four figure sum. Satisfied?
Personally, I'm delighted to hear that Newts in Need will be benefitting so signally from Ken's defeat.
Thanx for the response Iain.
What are you implying with the dig "most of which he will be donating to charity. Or not."?
If you didn't mean he should, or aren't trying to blacken his name why mention anything about charity at all?
If Ken was already signed up to the agency when he was having a go at Boris (of which I have no knowledge), then why didn't you post about that, rather than 'nudge, nudge, bet he don't give to charity'.
You're right, peoples charitable donatins are sod all to do with me, but I didn't bring it up, you did.
And I asked for a percentage, not an actual figure, as I don't want to know and shouldn't know the figures and a percentage gives a more accurate idea of your generosity when your throwing muck about other peoples.
Good try, but go swing.
Iain, do Ken's charitable donations have F all to do with you too?
I wouldn't pay 10p to hear his boring nasal whine. I am not sure that even at that price I would get a return on my investment!
I have only seen him speak once and he was excellent in a populist way (this was in the mid 80s when he was a Thatcher bogeyman).
Good luck to him whatever he does or does not give to charity - remember he has at least 3 families to support too which should appeal to all you Tories out there.
Good that he is taking the only socialist plan that works and taking the capitalist £££.
Talking of nasal whining, doesn't Hague do tremendously well spinning around the globe like a whirling dervish 'trousering'? You'd think that such a very important full time front bench job would/should occupy most of his time and energy, but no....
Ken is completely free now to take on any amount of paid speaking engagements, and doesn't need to make excuses or answer to the public.
It's so strange, but Ken always seems to be blaming other people for things that he is either already doing or wants to do.
For ages he slagged off Boris for appearing on HIGNFY, until some bright spark (actually it was me!) checked back on all the DVDs since the programme started and found out that not only had Ken appeared on the programme, but he had MADE ONE MORE APPEARANCE THAN BORIS HAD!
The thing was, nobody remembered Ken's appearances, whereas everyone remembered all of Boris's and BJ was given a whole of a side of a DVD for the shows when he was the presenter. It's like the Mr. Ripley film, when Matt Damon so wants to be the Jude Law part, he kills him and takes over his identity.
Ken has a lean and hungry look.... Boris had better get somebody to taste his food!
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