A few months ago Venezuela's left wing President, Hugo Chavez, visited London to be feted by Mayor Ken Livingstone. It seems that Mr Livingstone is now about to become an oil baron. I can exclusively reveal that he has recently signed a deal with Chavez whereby Transport for London will provide the Venezuelan government with transport counsultancy advice (quite why they'd want it...) and in return TfL will be paid in barrels of oil.Chavez reportedly has struck a similar deal with Cuba. Quite what TfL will actually do with the oil is anyone's guess, but my spy in TfL's senior management is none to impressed by Livingstone oiling up to Chavez. "It's as much as we can do to develop a strategy for London let alone bloody Caracas," my snout tells me.
Last winter Chavez delivered cut-rate oil to low-income Americans through Citgo, the Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. He offered to do the same during his visit in May (see HERE) and it now looks as though he's delivering on the promise. Surely Livingstone's London isn't so destitute that it needs overseas aid from a self-styled latter day Che Guevera?
17 comments:
London Transport in its heydey, back before the Thatcher and Kajor governments broke it up and privatised it, was regarded as a one of the best transport undertakings in the world and used to have a thriving international consultancy business.
Apropos of nothing, I noticed yesterday that Ken's City Hall next to Tower Bridge has at least one revolving door that turns to the left. All a bit confusing for a right leaning older chap like me - maybe thats the point.
When I saw Ken versus Archer debate 'London' all those years ago, Ken won hands down!
I must admit that I can't care about either of them so far... Ken is wrong on so many things at the moment, but think of the alternative...!
I thought it was "Gorgeous George" who signed oil deals with foreign dictators?
They might not need to, but in the current market oil for TFL advice is a better deal than money for old rope.
They'd be fools not to take it.
So the poor of Venezuela are subsidising the rich of London.
Ken the Socialist must be so proud.
I wish Chavez would give me some cut-price oil. Having juts ordered some central heating fuel at enormous expense I'd be delighted to receive it. No qualms about that.
Has anyone else noticed the delicious irony in all this?
Ken, like his fellow terror apologist, Galloway, is always one of the first to stand up and start bleating that "it's all about oil" whenever he's got the chance to bash Bush.
But then as soon as some fruitloop offers them the chance to do a bit of trading themselves they jump in faster than a tart can drop her drawers.
Still, it's nice to know that the poor, starving peasants of Venezuela are donating a year's supply of diesel for Ken's Bendibuses.
RM
I thought it was "Gorgeous George" who signed oil deals with foreign dictators?
So... a dictator... or a "self-styled latter day Che Guevara"... any other ill-informed rot you want to list here?
Hugo Chavez is the democratically elected leader of his country... he and his Party have won six elections (I think it's six) since 1998 and it was his right-wing opponents who initiated a (failed) coup against him. Perhaps David Cameron would like to visit him too... because the Conservatives appear to have forgotten how it's done.
Err, Chavez ain't a dictator...
Chavez is not a dictator.
I think Mr Dale is barking up the wrong tree here.
Surely the leak said 'Chavs to be feted by Ken Livingstone'.
Pray how does Red Ken propose to use the black oleaginous stuff?
Is he going to set up a 'People's Refinery' in London to turn into useful fuels to power TFL's fleet of vehicles, or power CHP plants to heat and provide electricity (Red Power, anyone)?
Or, horror of horrors, is London's Socialist King going to trade it on the wicked capitalist market to turn it into dosh.
I think Londoners should be asking questions.
TFL doesn't have any buses of it's own (they're all run by PLCs like First Group, Arriva and Go-Ahead)
So either Ken and Hugo are going to be subsidising PLCs, or Ken's going to flog the oil...
No doubt he'll manage to screw that up too!
Various said Chavez is not a dictator.
to which one obviously adds yet.
He's still buying the necessary firepower.
If Ken's to be an oilman he ought to dress the part:
http://www.mayorwatch.org.uk/images/ken_oilman.jpg
I think it's quite amusing how Ken can confound his critics time and time again.
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