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Mayor of London aide resigns over corruption allegations

05/03/2008

An aide to the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has resigned after fresh allegations were published in the Evening Standard regarding the misuse of public funds.

Lee Jasper, the mayor's race adviser, wrote a letter to Mr Livingstone tendering his resignation yesterday, blaming the "racist nature of a relentless media campaign".

"It has become clear that a number of matters which are not of first importance in London are being used to distract from the crucial questions in the election campaign," he said.

"The racist nature of a relentless media campaign and the consequent effects on myself and family have placed an intolerable strain on all of us."

The Evening Standard has claimed that friends of Mr Jasper, who run community projects, have received millions of pounds of the public's money, with little or nothing to show for it.

Yesterday the newspaper also claimed that the former aide had sent intimate emails to a woman involved in an organisation Mr Jasper had recommended receive hundreds of thousands of pounds in grants.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) released a statement on its website yesterday praising Mr Jasper for his work in tackling racism in London and saying his resignation had been accepted by the mayor.

"No evidence has been presented for the criminal allegation presented by the Evening Standard," the statement said.

"However, Lee Jasper has stated that in light of material published today that he has tendered his resignation. The mayor has accepted it."

Mr Livingstone is running for a third term as mayor of London in elections on May 1st.