See you in court

摘要

It is no surprise, but now it's official. Ken Livingstone, the politician formerly known as "red", has become a fat cat. London's first elected mayor still dresses like a corner tobacconist. He still makes a point of commuting alongside his voters and fellow-sufferers on London's decrepit Tube. But by the standards of British politicians, he is now quite rich. Although he cannot draw his full mayor's salary while sitting as an MP, the two jobs still give him £105,000 ($151,000). According to the Commons' latest register of members' interests, he is probably making nearly as much through journalism and public speaking—to say nothing of office allowances of £50,000. Quite a few Tory mps probably earn more, but on the Labour benches, a quarter of a million pounds or so amounts to a handsome squeeze.