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Red Ken Baits Japan
It is clear to most reasonable people that London's left-wing Mayor, Ken Livingstone, is an idiot.
A few years ago he likened a persistent Jewish reporter to a concentration camp guard. He shares "peace" platforms with ranting extremists. Now he's back to the war imagery again, and he's gunning for the Japanese.
Commenting on the Japanese Embassy's failure to pay the London Congestion Charge, Ken likened the Embassy's stance to Japan's alleged unwillingness to admit to war crimes.
"I think there are several problems with Japan that we could go on about here," he told LBC radio, "Admitting their guilt for all the war crimes would be one thing. So if they've not got round to doing that, I doubt they're too worried about the congestion charge."
Japan's Embassy reacted angrily to Ken's outburst: Japan says it has apologised for wartime atrocities.
The diplomatic incident comes amid rising frustration in the Mayor's office over foreign embassies refusing to pay the £8 ($16/€11.77) Congestion Charge for access to central London's roads.
As the Japan Times reports, some embassies ignore the charge on the grounds that it is a tax diplomats are not eligible to pay under the 1961 Vienna Convention.
The US and German embassies led the "revolt" against the charge in 2005; it is believed the US embassy now owes nearly £900,000 in charges and fines. Japan is believed to owe £312,000 since its embassy claimed immunity from the charge last August.
