Thursday, September 14, 2006

Ken Oils His Way to a Deal With Chavez

On 10 August I wrote THIS, revealing Ken Livingstone had struck an oil deal with Hugo Chavez. The Evening Standard wrote about it yesterday after Livingstone revealed that he wanted to use the money to subsidise Oyster Cards. However, according to The Times Business Pages HERE, Chavez will supply Londoners with cheap fuel in return for access to London’s CCTV and genetic fingerprinting expertise. Funny that, originaly he said he wanted to help London's poor.

11 comments:

Rigger Mortice said...

sounds like the people are in for a period of unrestricted freedom, Stalin style

Anonymous said...

Isn't this is just bartering? Why not buy the oil from the best supplier and let the Venezuelans buy their own Orwellian practices from Halliburton and Bechtel.

Or is Ken grandstanding? Surely not!

James Higham said...

Seems Ken is making friends everywhere:

...Celebrations this weekend to mark the 350th anniversary of the readmission of Jews to England have been snubbed by a senior Jewish organization because of London Mayor Ken Livingstone involvement...

Sir-C4' said...

After reading this, 'regime change' is back on the cards.

Cicero said...

In exchange for a few gallons of diesel, Red Ken is going to be giving out advice on surveillance and police work to a South American Dictator?!?

Amnesty and Human Rights Watch will be especially touched by this great display of "Socialist solidarity".

I think that this is the most shocking story you have ever run...

Praguetory said...

Can't see why Chavez wouldn't pay in cash but they say that the poor quality of Venezuelan oil has deteriorated further since he nationalised the industry. I hope someone is checking the quality of this oil to see whether it has any value. Ken - taking us back to the barter economy.

Anonymous said...

Words to describe the hypocracy and lies of our "beloved" London leader do not exsist.

Roll on the London elections. Seeing your enemies not only beaten but humiliated, is almost worth the wait.

Anonymous said...

Does Gordon know about this?
I'm sure he'll see fit to slap on the usual duties, VAT and the like.

Which makes one wonder just how cheap this stuff is going to turn out to be.

If the tories win the next mayorial election will they repudiate the deal? Or will Desperate Dave convert it all into lubricating oils for bicycles?

The Hitch said...

Funny thing about venezuela , the people have in fact become poorer since the beneficent Chavez came in to power and crime has gone through the roof, I know this as a frend of mine married a venezuelan he gets to see the the decline on every visit and gets to hear what he natives really think.
well thats Socialism for you, apart from the politburo everybody is equally f***** .

Anonymous said...

It's bad enough that the Mayor of London should entertain a stalinist thug like Chavez, but this really is too much. Livingstone is ignorant disgrace to the city he represents and I hope to god he'll be booted out next time around. I'm not putting any money on it though...

indigo said...

I beg to differ. I know it's fashionable to hate Ken Livingstone but look at this, the US budget deficit 1961 to the present day - and these figures do not, I gather, include the $2-$3 trillion cost of the war in Iraq.

Livingstone might just have ensure that, after the oil-producing countries switch from the petro-dollar to the petro-euro, and the pound sterling becomes almost worthless, at least London's emergency services have fuel for their vehicles.

As soon as I have any spare money, I am putting it in a euro savings account. (I have found only one bank that lets you do that as a matter of course: my own bank immediately assumed that I must be intent upon a bit of money-laundering, parochial w*****s that they are.)