Ken Livingstone quotes

Ken Livingstone is a British politician who served as the Mayor of London and was a prominent figure in the Labour Party. Known for his progressive views, he played a key role in developing London's public transport and social policies. He has remained a controversial public figure, often involved in debates on urban policy and social justice. Here are 99 of his quotes:

You can't expect to work for the Daily Mail group and have the rest of society treat with you respect as a useful member of society, because you are not.

Ken Livingstone

It would actually be quite nice if the American ambassador in Britain could pay the [congestion] charge that everybody else is paying and not actually try and skive out of it like some chiselling little crook.

Ken Livingstone

I feel a degree of regret that Marshall did not push on and say 'Abolish the GLC', because I think it would be a major saving and would have released massive resources for more productive use.

Ken Livingstone

One thing that Chairman Mao did was to end the appalling foot binding of women. That alone justifies the Mao Tse-tung era.

Ken Livingstone

The American agenda is sweeping everything before it, and although it's not perfect, the EU is better on environmental issues. It's a less rapacious form of capitalism.

Ken Livingstone

The British judiciary is one of the most corrupt in the world because of politically active judges.

Ken Livingstone

There is now a desperate need for a London-wide left caucus of those interested in the GLC and local councils so that we can compare and discuss what is happening in each borough.

Ken Livingstone

I take a much more pragmatic view than many people on the Left about working with Neil Kinnock. Kinnock represents the best vehicle possible for achieving socialism now.

Ken Livingstone

Everyone is bisexual. Almost everyone has the sexual potential for anything.

Ken Livingstone

You cannot just have a socialist revolution in Norwood and nowhere else.

Ken Livingstone

To avoid manufactured misunderstandings, the policies of Israeli governments are not analogous to Nazism. They do not aim at the systematic extermination of the Palestinian people, in the way Nazism sought the annihilation of the Jews.

Ken Livingstone

Today the Israeli government continues seizures of Palestinian land for settlements, military incursions into surrounding countries and denial of the right of Palestinians expelled by terror to return. Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, is a war criminal who should be in prison, not in office. Israel's own Kahan commission found that Sharon shared responsibility for the Sabra and Shatila massacres.

Ken Livingstone

When you see someone trying to manoeuvre it round the school gates, you have to think, 'You are a complete idiot.'

Ken Livingstone

I'm not in favour of the army, I'm in favour of replacing it with armed workers' brigades to defend the factories.

Ken Livingstone

I want to say one thing specifically to the world today. This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was not aimed at presidents or prime ministers. It was aimed at ordinary, working-class Londoners - black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old - indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for caste, for religion or whatever. That isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith, it is just indiscriminate attempt at mass murder - and we know what the objective is. They seek to divide Londoners. They seek to turn Londoners against each other.

Ken Livingstone

I can't think of a more appalling contrast between this wedding beanfeast and what is happening in Ireland.

Ken Livingstone

Perhaps if they're not happy here they can go back to Iran and try their luck with ayatollahs, if they don't like the planning regime or my approach.

Ken Livingstone

Global warming could be solved by shifting three to four per cent of global GDP to pay for it.

Ken Livingstone

Polling in a general election is pretty accurate, because turnout is usually high.

Ken Livingstone

He asked to see me again. I think he wants me for my body.

Ken Livingstone

The next election will bring an influx of over 120 new MPs who will be overwhelmingly on the Left.

Ken Livingstone

The IMF and World Bank are still appalling, and now the World Trade Organisation too. All over the world people die unnecessarily because of the international financial system. Every year the international financial system kills more people than World War II. But at least Hitler was mad.

Ken Livingstone