Click HERE to view the 18 Doughty Street commercial attacking Ken Livingstone. Click HERE to view the sources for every allegation made. This is the third ad campaign from 18DoughtyStreet.com and this week's two minute ad attacks the high spending, low delivery record of London Mayor Ken Livingstone. Everything the advert says is sourced here. After you have watched the video please help to bring this campaign alive by forwarding it to friends using the 'Email this page to a friend' button. We do not have Ken Livingstone's £100m PR budget and the ability to put this advert into cinemas and on to billboards but with your help we can put a link to this ad into tens of thousands of email in-boxes.Also by registering on 18DoughtyStreet.com you can receive an email alert when we launch next week's and all future campaign ads. You might also like to watch 18DoughtyStreet.com's two previous commercials: one asks What will they tax next? and the other targets the 'conspiracy' of the main political parties to extract more money from taxpayers in order to pay for their campaigning expenses.
Next week's ad will attack arms sales to unsavoury regimes with bad human rights records. Click HERE to give us your script ideas.
39 comments:
Iain, I'm sorry to be an 'old fart' but do you really have to call this an 'attack ad' ? It sounds hideous, ungentlemanly and worst of all, American. You might as well go the whole hog and call it a 'smear campaign' or a 'throw some mud, and some of it is bound to stick'.
What about a 'challenge film' or, more gallantly, 'throwing down the gauntlet' ?
Sorry Iain but the sources aren't all as reliable as 18DS seem to think.
The claimed £2m Cuban Fesitival is a total fabrication:
"Any Cuban festival will be part of an invitation to countries participating in the Olympics to stage events in London prior to the Games primarily through sponsorship and their own expense."
http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=10289
I am sure he's going to be frightened of that ad ,I bet he will have a good laugh ,fancy giving him free publicity ,as they say any free publicity is good even when it's bad , now 18ds chairside debate all sides invite.
What utter bollocks.
First of all, Ken was on the political scene before you and your mates discovered masturbation as a hobby.
Secondly, despite being a hate figure for over thirty years nobody, in his long career, has managed to find much of a personal nature to get him on. He hasn't for instance,been caught defecating on hired personnel or taking cash for questions, honours or cowboy boots.
Thirdly, he has more political credibility than you will ever have.
Fourthly, what is all this lame stuff about taxis to Blackpool? Is that the best you can do? In the days of the GLC the Conservative Chairman and his deputy had chauffer driven limos. What is he supposed to do?
Fifthly, he is avowedly gay-friendly so I don't see how he can fully support homophobic Islamist drivel - I would like to see what he said in context.
His trip to Cuba seems to have required a rather stingy outlay by all accounts. Is it any different from Cameron's self-referetial jaunt to India, and why? I would have thought that contact with that country can only serve to encourage its links with the outside world.
You really have hit rock bottom here. Sure, criticise his policies , tell me you don't like him - that's fine, but trying to dish this re-cycled dirt on a politician of his stature should be beneath you, and, frankly it is a bit disturbing.
They're getting worse. At least the first one was funny.
Next week's ad will attack arms sales to unsavoury regimes with bad human rights records.
Don't forget to mention the Scott Report!
I appreciate that these allegations have to be made, but this US-style stuff just turns into an arms race of bitter filth and no one will be any better off than you were when it started.
Anyone that's sat through a US political season in a battleground state (or at least gotten the television ads from one) will know what I mean. It probably sounded like a good idea when they ran political ads over here but man, politics in the US is poisonous.
Its a bit rubbish Iain. It looks like an ad that's been put togther by committee. There's too many messages in there and its too vague. The dinner party theme is a bit dark and depressing too. A missed opportunity
Let me tell you about 'Ken'. He took over the GLC by outsting the Labour leader McIntosh just after he had triumphed in the London elections.
He conducted, with his friends, a scandalous campaign against Reg Freeson (zionist blah, blah) in the pages of the Labour Herald, so Livingstone could have the safe seat.
To quote Wikipedia '(Freeson) was deselected in 1985 after a bitter struggle, described as "political 'murder'" in his Guardian obituary.
Inviting the IRA to tea during bombing campaign? Suporting mad Mullahs? Global oil trading? Opening GLA offices around the world? Introducing a cock-up congestion charge and managing to slow the traffic? Spending tens of millions promoting himself? Jobs for lefties at the GLA? Racial abuse? Brawling at parties?
Aside from all in Labour movement knowing full well about his conduct in private, the best criticism of him came last week by Alice Miles in the Times.
She pointed out there had been three murders down her way in south London in a week. Where, she asked was the Mayor? It's in those situations that a real Mayor would be walking the streets and making some noise.
As Kinnock said, Livingstone's only ever been the memeber of one party, the Ken Livingstoner party.
iain
whoops- last comment said Livingstoner party. Was a mistake. (actually he's a drunk, not a druggie).
mroll
Posted this earlier Iain, but it doesn't seem to have got through. Experiencing problems?
I still can't see a declaration of interest here. Can I suggest the following?
14 February 2007:
I helped to produce a politically biased attack advert against Ken Livingstone in advance of the 2008 mayoral election. The advert made no reference to the fact that I am trustee of a politically aligned think tank, Policy Exchange, the Director of which is a likely mayoral candidate for the Conservative Party.
That should do it.
(By the way - I'd check those stats about Ken's borough visits. You've got him down as visiting Brent only once. GYAC - He lives there. Surely he's been home more than once in three years?)
Is it any different from Cameron's self-referetial jaunt to India, and why?
You mean apart from Cameron's trips being paid for by donors not taxpayers?
Apart from coming across like something you'd see on Fox TV the mockney accent of the narrator sound artificial and a little cringeworthy.
It sounded like someone doing a bad EastEnders impression!:D
So much for your plea to avoid personal attacks Iain. Do as I say not as I do and all that..
Is it me or do most Londoners seem happy with Ken even if they don't like his leftiness? At least we know what he really believes.
Do you really think Londoners will prefer some spineless, value-free, flip-flopping Cameroon?
Your Tory TV channel has hit rock bottom with that out-of-touch ad Iain.
attack him and then what? Who do you propose to replace him with?
You guys seem to have forgotten that the public have continued to vote him in precisely because he gives a two fingers up to nu labour.
Seriously, what have you got? Nick Ferrari?! PLU-OISE!
wrinkled weasel - Indeed, he may have had a good reason to go to Blackpool, in connection with the various plans and discussions about the supercasino licences.
I disagree. It's excellent.
Even better with the sound off.
Keep up the good work.
Have you forgotten about the pigeons?
I have to say it was PPiss PPoor, was it put together by Geoffrey Howe?
whats up ian didnt you like my uni one ,or wasn't it up to your high standards
Why did Condi Rice sleep on the floor?
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/05/labott.condistraw/index.html
What I find odd that the 18DS comment moderator decided not to approve the comment I made there pointing out that the Cuban festival claim has been denied and only exists in the minds of Daily Main/Standard reporters.
Hardly 'politics for adults' when comments pointing out they're wrong are censored!
Martin, I have just checked and can assure you your comment had not been censored in any way. It was held up in Comment moderation as presumably it was your first post on the site. All initial posts have to be approved. It is showing now.
Hi Iain
My second comment is showing and thank you for that, my first was made shortly after my 12.51 post here and doesn't show up for me - obviously you might understandably have opted to only approve one as they said much the same.
It did look somewhat like only the more praiseworthy comments being approved given that the posts which were showing at the time of my 5.25pm comment here were all made after my first and unapproved comment.
Obviously if I'm wrong I'm happy to be told so.
Having watched it all again I think the ad is the weakest of the ones done so far.
It's technically well made but it's fails at a major hurdle, the claims in it don't amount to a great deal unless you're already a rabid Ken hater.
I'm not really sure what the section about Al-Qaradawi is meant to prove - the implication seems to be that somehow the views he expresses on issues such as gay rights reflect on Ken Livingstone.
IMO that's a bit like suggesting Mrs Thatcher shared Pinochet's views on how to treat political opponents - a cheap and rather silly point. If it was meant to be saying something else I'm afraid it was lost on me.
I happened to think that the earlier 18DS ads were pretty good so I hope the next one returns to form.
The reality is that the Tory party in London has nothing positive to say. Only today the Tories were trying to abolish free bus travel for children.
So it is inevitable in circumstances where there is no positive agenda and total turmoil about finding a half-decent candidate that the right has turned to negative campaigning.
It will almost certainly backfire.
Plus, as Martin from Mayorwatch points out, the ad is unreliable - the £2m for the Cuba festival for example is a fabrication.
So the first anti-Livingstone ad resorts to lies.
Coming from an organisation - 18 Doughty Street - set up by the former campaign manager for Jeffrey Archer this is not exactly surprising.
this kind of spiteful 6th form rubbish only makes the tories look like the nasty party.
are the tories capable of saying anything about livingstone or brown that isn't personal?
Ken is a total letch. Anything high powered, a bit gorgeous, and who has the misfortune to share a taxi with him is at risk.
Its a great ad. I'm not a politician and neither are most Londoners. Everyone should know about Red Ken's record for cosying up to terrorists.
A leopard does not change his spots and neither has this prat.
"The Cuban revolution was one of the most important events of the 20th centuary."
A resent quote coming from British communism/socialist Ken Livingstone, made and reported in Cuba.
Having been to Cuba resently, may I remind any socialists out their what a "living" nightmare Cuba is for all its ordinary citizens.
Please dont believe me, Ken Livingstone, or the Cuban travel rep, go there and see for yourselves.
Then experience the deep deep shame your sense of humanity must feel, if you have ever promoted ANY of the Cuban revolutions inhumainly crule Marxist idears.
Ken Livingstone does on a regular basis and is know in Cuba as a "well know popular and credible supporter of our revolution".
49 years later and Castro and KL are still blaming the US for every problem on the island. Come to think about it KL is still blaming the US and the Tories for every problem in London.
I think the the good sense of Londons electorate will vote him out well before Londoners are living on $20 per month. However the sooner the better for everyone except Ken Livingstone.
Whilst many Londoners may choose to give Ken Livingstone the benefit of the doubt as a somewhat eccentric-but-well-meaning-man-of-the -people, those of us in Merseyside have seen the full damage of such left-wing megolamaniacs (Derek Hatton...remember him?)
It has taken us 20+ years to recover from his legacy. I pray the same does not happen to you.
Anonymous @ 8.51 said "Everyone should know about Red Ken's record for cosying up to terrorists."
Most people Do know his record, the Tories made much of it in the 80's. Problem is that a few years later they started covert negotiations with the same terrorists.
The difference is Livingstone was prepared to publicly own up to his meetings with the IRA killers and a Tory Government said one thing in public and did another in private.
20 years later when Adams is a regular visitor to Downing Street I'm not really sure reminding people will get you very far.
"Only today the Tories were trying to abolish free bus travel for children."
It isn't free, somebody is being forced to pay for it i.e. the taxpayer. I don't expect other people to pay for me when I take the train.
hmmm.. i'm irish and i didnt like the "thanks for everything - gerry adams" bit. isnt the war supposed to be over? why dig that up again? (much as i totally oppose the IRA.. but hey - cant we move on a bit from those old arguments?)
the same could be said about Cuba/Castro bit. lets focus on the NOW and what he is doing NOW - for example, Chavez isnt mentioned. what about that crazy oil deal?
so, in summary, that ad manages to piss off
1. the irish londoners
2. spanish/latino waiters
3. the london muslims
sorry, but i think you have some great points on the PR spending, and the taxi fees.. but no mention of the Orwellian congestion charge?
i would suggest you focus on his record and how that applies to the freedoms and liberties of ALL londoners, rather than picking out your pet hates of him liking Castro for example. picking out his support for certain causes will only weaken your argument and turn off certain sectors of the electorate.
focus on the ideas of freedom and liberty and how ken is now tracking your car into london - now THAT is big brother.
also focus on crime. and bang on about it. dont finger out the muslims, or the irish, or the Cubans... bang on about his record. crime, education, literacy levels... etc.
for fingering out certain london communities only deflects from Ken. and that gives Ken a way of demonising YOU
just my 2 cents Iain.
Ian
As a casual reader of your blog this just looks really strange. "View the latest attack ad here"
Erm, no thanks, I read blogs to escape that kind of rubbish.
Why do you have an ad to advertise your attack ad?
In short, boring, biased, dodgy sources, and funded by Tories.
18 DS is running attack ads on Tory themes and it will lose viwers as a result.
Hmm, its a pity that after such a good start they're now going downhill Iain.
There's no point making adverts like these if you are not going to play to the strengths of the medium you're using. And no, I'm not in the 'meedja'! This is just my layman's opinion.
The first was an excellent use of visual imagery to get across a clear message. A deaf person could watch that ad and still understand what it was getting at. I thoroughly agree with it's sentiments, too!
The second was far too verbose. With the exception of introducing the characters via the colour of their rosettes it relied entirely on the spoken work to put across it's message. It could've been a radio play. But again, a good issue to campaign against.
The third was dire. As a Tory myself, I appreciate the messages you are trying to convey, but I do not approve of these personal attacks. That's despite me finding the man in question deeply distasteful. Please don't go down this route again. Oh, and the voiceover was really annoying too - the accent just seemed too phoney to me, and I grew up on a sink estate in North London.
If you can continue making ads similar to the first one then I will continue to watch them. Remember: clear ideas; play to the strengths of the medium you're using; no ad hominem attacks.
If you're going to source things, at least use proper sources - that lot is a mishmash of the biased, the misapplied and the irrelevant.
More on my blog.
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