LIVINGSTONE & DESMOND MAKE INTERESTING BEDFELLOWS

12.01.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 6th Apr 2005

At Mayor's Question Time later today (Wednesday), Liberal Democrats at the London Assembly will quiz the Mayor as to whether his personal battle with Associated Newspapers has prevented him from defending the rights of ethnic minorities in all media outlets rather than one newspaper group.

Following the statements from Mr Livingstone towards the way Associated Newspapers has treated ethnic minorities in the UK, the Liberal Democrats will urge the Mayor to be even handed with his criticism by asking him and his Human Rights adviser, Yasmin Qureshi, to write to the Daily Express to protest against the language the newspaper has used towards minority groups, asylum seekers and refugees.

The Liberal Democrats will highlight that

· Mr Livingstone has written an open letter calling for Associated Newspapers to apologise for an incident in which senior Associated Newspaper staff allegedly appeared at a Daily Mail party dressed in Nazi uniforms, but the Mayor failed to call for Daily Express owner, Richard Desmond, to apologise for his alleged 'goosestepping incident' last year

· The only newspapers to support Mr Livingstone's refusal to apologise following the 'Finegold incident' were the Daily Star and Daily Express - both owned by Richard Desmond

· A report commissioned by the Mayor in July 2004 to investigate perceptions of the media on asylum seekers looked at 14 national and regional newspapers but failed to examine any papers owned by Northern and Shell

· The Daily Express leads the Press Complaints Commission list of newspapers that has used the inflammatory phrase 'illegal asylum seeker'

· Richard Desmond would like to start a London newspaper and have entry into the lucrative London Underground commuter market. In January 2005, Mr Livingstone stated he was preparing an advertisement inviting bids from newspaper organisations to gain access to the Tube

Leader of the London Assembly Liberal Democrat group, Graham Tope, said

"Recent events show that Mr Livingstone and the newspapers owned by Richard Desmond are making interesting bedfellows. However, it is vital in his war of words with Associated Newspapers, that the Mayor makes clear that incorrect and inciting language by any newspaper on asylum or minorities of any group is unacceptable and intolerable.

"The Daily Express, and not Associated newspapers, has led the way in using the inaccurate and inflammatory phrase "illegal asylum seeker" that the Press Complaints Commission ruled should no longer be used.

"Such provocative language reinforces prejudices and denies the UK an informed discussion on asylum policy and yet the Mayor seems intent on ignoring it unless it comes from the Associated newspaper group. If the Mayor is intent on preventing prejudice in London then he should be warning all newspaper groups not to use discriminatory language and not just the ones that he doesn't get on with.

"Perhaps the ongoing row has been blown out of proportions deliberately by the Mayor to help him turf out his pet hate, the Evening Standard, from the Tube and help him supplant it with a London newspaper published by Northern and Shell."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The PCC

The motto of the PCC is 'Fast, Free and Fair.' The PCC's judgments are based on the Code of Practice. "The Code - drawn up by editors themselves - covers the way in which news is gathered and reported. It also provides special protection to particularly vulnerable groups of people such as children, hospital patients and those at risk of discrimination." [www.pcc.org.uk].

2. Press Complaints Commission guidance on "Illegal Asylum Seekers"

Guidance issued by the PCC on 23rd October 2003 states:

"By way of example, as an "asylum seeker" is someone currently seeking refugee status or humanitarian protection, there can be no such thing in law as an "illegal asylum seeker". [full statement on 'Refugees And Asylum Seekers' below]

3. The use of this inflammatory phrase has hardly declined since the ruling

Incidents in year before warning: 38

Incidents in year following warning: 33

Newspaper 23/10/02 to 23/10/03 23/10/03 to 23/10/04

The Express 4 5

Daily Mail(London) 4 3

The Mirror 4 3

Daily Telegraph 1 3

Daily Star 0 2

The Times 2 1

The Independent 3 1

The Guardian 2 0

The People 1 1

The Sun 6 0

Financial Times 0 1

Evening Standard 0 1

UK Newsquest 1 3

The Scotsman 2 3

Evening News(Edinburgh) 0 1

Lincolnshire Echo 0 1

Western Daily Press 0 1

Yorkshire Post 0 1

Daily Post(Liverpool) 0 1

Herald Express (Torquay) 0 1

Birmingham Post 1 0

Evening Chronicle(Newcastle) 1 0

Western Mail 1 0

News of the World 1 0

The Herald(Glasgow) 1 0

The Gloucester Citizen 1 0

Western Morning News 1 0

Belfast Telegraph 1 0

Total 38 33

The list does not include material from letters or outside quotations. Nor does it include any instance when the term is being defined. The list was compiled through the Lexis Nexis press search engine.

Usage 23/10/03 to 23/10/04

1. The Evening Standard (London) October 24,2003, no title

2. Daily Star Oct. 28, 2003 'TOO LATE TO SHUT DOOR'

3. Herald Express (Torquay), Nov. 15, 2003, 'Ships' Voyage of No Return'

4. The Daily Post (Liverpool) Nov. 25, 2003, BEHIND THE SPEAKER'S CHAIR: TAXPAYERS RESPECTED; BUT THEY MAY HAVE LEFT IT TOO LATE

5. The Lincolnshire Echo, Nov. 29, 2003 'Lunatics Mustn't Take Over Asylum'

6. The Sunday Mirror, Nov. 30, 2003 'CAROLE MALONE COLUMN: TAKE CARE, BLUNKETT'

7. Daily Telegraph, December 12, Herod or wise man? Angel or stubborn donkey? David Blunkett has been vilified over his asylum plans, yet young refugees are his biggest fans, finds Alice Thomson

8. The Scotsman, December 16, 2003 'ANGER AT DUNGAVEL 'SOP' ON CHILDREN'

9. The Scotsman, December 18 2003 ' LABOUR MPS OPPOSE PLAN TO TIGHTEN ASYLUM SYSTEM'

10. Sunday Mirror, January 11, 'CAROLE MALONE: TONY'S LOST IT ALREADY'

11. Sunday Mirror, February 1,2004 'EXCLUSIVE BRITAIN TO CHECK IMMIGRANTS AT FRENCH PORTS'

12. The Express February 7, 2004 'REFUGEE FEARS AS 9,000 DOCUMENTS ARE STOLEN IN FRANCE; PASSPORT TO BRITAIN'

13. UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is The Lake District February 13, 2004 'Rich seam of cockles worth around £6m'

14. Daily Telegraph, February 13, 2004, 'Give Chinese cockle-pickers a chance'

15. Mail on Sunday (London), February 15, 2004, 'BLAIR HIT OVER RACE BY TORIES'

16. The Express, February 16, 2004, 'ASYLUM COSTS UP BY GBP 44M'

17. Daily Telegraph, February 27, 2004 'Blunkett makes me proud to be British'

18. Western Daily Press March 4, 2004 'Passport Scam'

19. Sunday Express, March 14, 2004 'SPORT FOOTBALL'

20. The Independent, LEADING ARTICLE: BRITAIN IS A LIBERAL NATION, AND WE SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED TO CELEBRATE OUR LIBERAL VALUES

21. Financial Times, March 31, 2004 'The gale blown up by the whistleblowers'

22. UK Newsquest Regional Press, April 2, 2004, Big Issue cheats may get York ban

23. Evenings News (Edinburgh) April 2, 2004 'MP secures cash deal to protect health service'

24. Daily Star, April 5, 2004, 'Daily Star Says'

25. Yorkshire Post, April 8, 2004 'MP secures cash deal to protect health service'

26. The Scotsman, April 15, 2004 'UK BORDERS NOW EXTEND TO BRUSSELS TRAIN STATION'

27. The Independent, May 26, 2004, POLITICS: ASYLUM FIGURES IGNORE 24,000 REFUGEES'

27. UK Newsquest Regional Press, June 24, 2004 'Other countries have it right why not us?'

28. The Express, June 25, 2004 ILLEGAL ASYLUM SEEKER LANDS TOP POLICE JOB

29. The Express, Aug. 9, 2004. WE ALLOW MORE REFUGEES IN THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY; BRITAIN NO1 FOR ASYLUM

30. The People, August 15, 2004 BACON AT THE MOVIES: DVDS; A LOOK AT THIS WEEK'S RELEASES...

31. Daily Mail (London) Sep. 7, 2004 'NO THANK-QUEUE!'

32. Sunday Times, Oct. 10, 2004 'Compelled to Act'

33. The Mail on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2004, 'Surrender'

10/23/02 to 10/23/03

1. The People, October 27, 2002, DAVID MELLOR COLUMN: MOORE DEBATE ON VITAL ISSUE

2. The Scotsman, November 6, 2002, REFUGEE CAMP CLOSES ITS DOORS

3. The Mirror, November 15, 2002, KEVAN FURBANK'S COLUMN: CRUISING FOR A BLAIR BRUISING

4. Daily Telegraph, November 22, 2002, This week's controversies in brief l

5. The Sun, November 25, 2002, ASYLUM SCAM

6. Belfast Telegraph, December 12, 2002, EU decisions must create spirit of unity

7. The Independent, December 21, 2002, DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONTLINE OF NEW LABOUR PROMISES: PUBLIC-SERVICE

8. The Express, January 12, 2003, LE WARM WELCOME

9. Western Morning News(Plymouth), January 16, 2003, Government 'Reluctant' To Pool Resources

10., January 20, 2003, READ THIS AND GET ANGRY

11. The Gloucester Citizen, January 21, 2003, Putting Their Lives On The Thin Blue Line

12. The Sun, January 27, Sack it to them

13. The Scotsman, January 27, 2003, Snapshots

14. The Sun, January 28, 2003, ASYLUM MADNESS; OPEN LETTER TO PM PERFORMANCE TARGETS A ROD FOR OUR OWN BACK' , ADMITS BLAIR

15. The Express, January 29, 2003, WE'RE ALL SET TO TAKE ON SADDAM BUT CAN'T HALT THE INVADERS TO OUR SHORES; BRITAIN GIVES UP FIGHT ON ASYLUM

16. The Independent, February 5, 2003, FRANCE AND BRITAIN AGREE DEAL ON LANGUAGE TEACHING

17. The Herald (Glasgow), February 5, 2003, Refugees will be processed on French soil

18. The Sun, February 11, 2003, 605,000 SIGN UP

19. Sunday Mirror, February 23, 2003, Identities are Stolen

20. News of the World, April 6, 2003, WE'RE A REAL SOFT DUTCH FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS

21. Sunday Mirror, May 11, 2003. 'STOTTY ON SUNDAY: UNDER-CLASS OF OUR OWN..'

22. Daily Mail, June 20, 2003. 'Fury as 73m more get right to British benefits'

23. Express, July 13, 2003 'NANNY 'S CURE IS HARD TO SWALLOW'

24. Daily Mail, July 24, 2003. 'The hide-and-seekers'

25. Sunday Times, July 27, 2003. 'Pensioners living abroad set to lose free NHS care'

26. Evening Chronicle (Newcastle), July 31, 2003. 'MPs call for tough action over asylum'

27. Western Mail, August 7, 2003. 'ILLEGAL COCKLE PICKERS TARGETED'

28. The Guardian, August 7, 2003. 'In brief: Crackdown on cockle pickers'

29. Birmingham Post, August 7, 2003. 'ILLEGAL COCKLE PICKING CRACKDOWN'

30. The Mail on Sundays, August 10, 2003. '12 babies for Robbie'

31. The Mirror, Sep. 7, 2003. 'TB REFUGEE DISAPPEARS'

32. The Sun, Sep. 8, 2003. 'ILLEGALS SET UP A NEW HQ'

33. Daily Mail, Sep. 8, 2003. 'Blunkett 'no idea' how to solve Dungavel problem'

34. The Express, Sep. 11,2003. 'LEADER COLUMN; LOOPHOLE LETS ILLEGAL ASYLUM SEEKERS LAUGH IN OUR FACE'

35. The The Guardian, Sep. 18, 2003. 'Cabinet split delays ID cards plan' Sun

36. The Times, Sep. 19, 2003. 'Turning around the Tory 'firm'. Step one: change the boss'.

37. UK Newsquest Regional Press, Sep. 27. 2004. 'Food Strike Asylum Seeker Goes Missing'

38. The Independent, Sep. 23, 2003, SECRET PLAN TO TAG ASYLUM-SEEKERS

Press Complaints Commission guidance of 23rd October 2003:

REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS

Over the past few years, the Commission has received increasing numbers of complaints - principally concerning discrimination - about the coverage of issues relating to refugees and asylum seekers.

The clear majority of complaints - including those stemming from partisan comment and campaigning - raise no breach of the Code of Practice.

However, one discrete group of complaints - which fall under the broad banner of Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Code - has led to a number of breaches, and the Commission thought it useful to draw this issue to the attention of editors.

Those breaches of the Code that have occurred - in a similar manner to the issue of the reporting of mental health, about which the PCC issued guidance in 1998 - appear largely to have arisen from misunderstandings about terminology.

The Commission is concerned that editors should ensure that their journalists covering these issues are mindful of the problems that can occur and take care to avoid misleading or distorted terminology. By way of example, as an "asylum seeker" is someone currently seeking refugee status or humanitarian protection, there can be no such thing in law as an "illegal asylum seeker" [our emphasis]. A "refugee" is someone who has fled their country in fear of their life, and may have been granted asylum under the 1951 Refugee Convention or someone who otherwise qualifies for Humanitarian Protection, Discretionary Leave or has been granted Exceptional Leave to Remain in the country. An asylum seeker can only become an "illegal immigrant" if he or she remains in the UK after having failed to respond to a removal notice.

Those groups set up to support and advocate on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers can provide further clarification to journalists if required.

Editors are, of course, already aware that pejorative or irrelevant reference to a person's race, religion, or nationality is already prohibited under Clause 13 (Discrimination) of the Code. Similarly, the Commission - in previous adjudications under Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Code - has underlined the danger that inaccurate, misleading or distorted reporting may generate an atmosphere of fear and hostility that is not borne out by the facts.

The Report that on media perceptions on asylum seekers commissioned by Mayor Livingstone was launched 13th July 2004 (link to the release enclosed):-

http://www.icar.org.uk/pdf/mici005.pdf

It is based on the report that can be found below in the link:-

http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/refugees/docs/mici_full_report.pdf

Mr Livingstone issued a press release supporting allegations made in the Daily Express against Associated Newspapers. The Mayor said:-

"Whilst it is true the Mail group no longer smears Jews as bringing crime and disease to the UK it is only because they have moved on. After a decade of pandering to racism against our citizens of Black and Irish origin they have moved on and now describe asylum seekers and Muslims in similar terms."