Comment: Let's Give Lee Jasper A Good Kicking

Inside our site

LET’S GIVE LEE JASPER
A GOOD OLD FASHIONED KICKING

25 FEB 08 YOU DON'T have to be a fan of London Mayoral advisor Lee Jasper, to know he’s good at what he does. He's always been good at that, even if does seem like it's self-promotion. He’s been true to himself and loads of Black groups in the process, and you can’t knock him.
Jasper is in the firing line, the sacrificial lamb in a bloody campaign geared at the disempowerment of the largest single body of Black people in Britain, London’s 1.5million Blacks, and all in the run up to mayoral elections in May 2008 where the Black vote could swing a third term for Ken Livingstone.
Jasper has a history as a political agitator - it's how he came to prominence - but he's been quiet since rising to respectability.

A dying breed

Truth be told, Black political activists are a dying breed. What ever happened to Linda Bellos, Dave Weaver, Marc Wadsworth and Kingsley Abrams? Even the memory of the late great MP Bernie Grant has long been consigned to a history easily and quickly forgotten – the Police will never forget or forgive Bernie’s post-Broadwater Farm comment. Grant just couldn't help himself when it came to campaigning on Black issues in or out of his Tottenham constituency. Jasper by his own admission has elements of the Bernie bug.
While some of the rank and file of OLD Labour rally to support Ken they seem willing to sacrifice Jasper in the process. But cast your minds back to the GLC over which Ken presided, it funded so many s*** minority projects it was embarrassing (challenge me on this) – and we’re not just talking Black projects either. Many did absolutely nothing but paid a clutch of directors and managers while the tax-paying public got little or nothing in return – trust me I’ve been employed by some of them. It’s no small wonder why the majority of these organisations are no longer in existence although sadly many of the executives are still involved (busy doing nothing) in local government or NGOs.

Guilty as charged

Jasper’s attempt to help direct loaves and fishes in the direction of struggling Black community groups may prove his undoing. But so what if he has put himself about in his lofty position. Isn’t it always nice to know that there’s a Black ear up there who will lend a ear. It's a welcome change from those individuals in Parliament – believe it or not, we have a far few Black folk up in the House - who seem content to serve, get fat and do nowt else.
If Jasper is guilty of looking after the interest of Black folk by supporting grant applications and taking ‘props’ in the world’s largest melting pot then hats off to him. People knocked Bernie for doing the same. Maybe we need to poke around the ashes of the Brixton, Toxteth and Tottenham riots and exorcise the spirits of those campaigners who once championed Black causes.
Whether you like Jasper or not, his crime seems to lie in getting involved in the empowerment of Black Britons. If that’s a crime, then let’s all line up and give him the kicking of his life and throw in crucifixion for good measure, surely it’s no more than he deserves.

JASPER'S PROFILE>>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------