Red Ken rides again

摘要

Every so often, circumstances throw up a politician who has such popular flair that even the smoothest party machine seems incapable of curbing him. Whatever residual doubt New Labour may have harboured about Ken Livingstone's tactical instinct evaporated this week when the old fox announced at last that, despite all his promises never to do such a thing, he would after all defy his own party and stand as an independent candidate when Londoners vote in May for their first-ever elected mayor.