Last week the Evening Standard carried a series of stories by Andrew Gilligan making false charges against the Greater London Authority and London Development Agency.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, was joined at City Hall today by Lord Herman Ouseley; Richard Taylor, father of Damilola Taylor; Brent South MP Dawn Butler and Rev Nims Obunge, to rebut these charges and to speak in defence of black organisations in London against sustained attack in the Evening Standard led by Andrew Gilligan.

Ken Livingstone said:
“London is a tolerant liberal city, and one of the greatest multi-ethnic cities in the world. It has not seen a press campaign of attacks on black people of the scale that were carried in the Evening Standard last week for over 20 years.

“The Evening Standard alleged, among other things, that the London Development Agency may have been intimidated by threats of gang violence by black people into giving out grants to organisations in which black people were the majority.

“It alleged that an organisation in Brixton, for which London Development Agency funds had been given, was 'a vibrant hub for criminals.“It alleged that a Greater London Authority investigation was taking place into Lee Jasper for instructing the London Development Agency to hand out money to black organisations, together with other charges.

“It attacked the Mayoral adviser on equalities, Lee Jasper, for living in a house which he had resided in for 21 years - including printing a photograph of this house which would be useful to racists and other extremists.

“These charges are entirely false. No evidence whatever that the London Development Agency was intimidated by threats of gang violence to give grants to black organisations has been presented. No evidence whatever that an organisation funded by the London Development Agency was a ‘vibrant hub for criminals’ has been presented. No investigation into Lee Jasper is taking place – on the contrary, as stated by the Greater London Authority chief executive, an investigation into Lee Jasper in April 2007, in relation to charges made anonymously, exonerated him and no new investigation has taken place. Lee Jasper moved into his present house 14 years before he started working for the Greater London Authority. As regards any other issues, none of which would justify such charges, the London Development Agency has already stated that ‘as a matter of routine’ it will naturally review any projects over which issues have been raised.

“Despite this, these false statements continue to be carried by the Evening Standard up to yesterday which for example continued to allege that ‘Lee Jasper is under investigation by the Greater London Authority’ despite this being entirely untrue.

“The sustained attacks on a series of black organisations in London last week, with their unsubstantiated and false accusations, coupled with Evening Standard articles which remained silent on offensive references about black people, raises serious issues about the motivations, prejudices and true agenda behind the Standard’s reporting.
“Such statements have been not only been refuted by the Greater London Authority but extremely widely condemned in the black community by figures entirely independent of it such as Courtney Griffiths QC, Lord Herman Ouseley, Kwame Kwei Armah, Lloyd Honeyghan, Bishop Joe Aldred, Rev Nims Obunge and many others. They have also been widely condemned outside the black community.”

Lord Herman Ouseley said,
“Politicians and the media have an important responsibility not to whip up prejudice and hatred or to play the race card. We have seen a real abdication of that responsibility in recent days, with the attacks on black community organisations and a failure to condemn offensive language which belongs in the 19th, not the 21st century. Although it is right and proper for organisations to be scrutinised, it should be of an equal level, regardless of what section of the community they represent.
“For individual politicians or the media to play the race card is wrong and damaging to all Londoners. We must not allow the old prejudices and racist attitudes to return. London’s strength is that it is represented through all its people from all backgrounds. We must continue to support our diverse communities, not attack them.”

Richard Taylor said,
“The ill feeling that is whipped up by recent comments and articles in the Evening Standard is extremely worrying for all those who believe in London as a centre of tolerance and multiculturalism.
“Smearing the work of organisations that work with some of London’s most deprived and excluded communities only reinforces prejudices and stereotypes and helps to legitimise racist views.“

Dawn Butler MP said,
“I am proud that the Mayor of London supports groups who work on the toughest estates, with the most vulnerable Londoners, from all communities to give them the opportunities many of us take for granted."
“Recent articles in the Evening Standard have failed to provide facts to back up a number of serious allegations. Instead, they have used language which only plays into the hands of those racists who would like to see the clock turned back to the bad old days of divided communities.”

Rev Nims Obunge said,
”These attacks have an impact on the whole community and can take us backwards when we should be going forward. All those involved must realise that these smears have the potential of killing the hopes and dreams of our young people.
“We are determined to stay united and stand together for the what we believe must be the future of our communities.”