With his suspension for insulting a Jewish reporter lifted pending appeal London's Mayor Ken Livingstone strikes again.

From This is Local London

LONDON mayor Ken Livingstone has defended his insult against two Jewish billionaires in a new racism row.

Yesterday he slated David and Simon Reuben, the businessmen behind the massive Stratford City development in east London a key part of the 2012 Olympic facilities.

"Perhaps if they're not happy they can always go back (to Iran) and see if they can do better under the ayatollahs," Mr Livingstone said during a press conference at City Hall.

The Reuben brothers are not Iranian, but were born in India from Iraqi Jewish parents..... 

 The Times  picks up the story

Yesterday Mr Livingstone declined to apologise to the Reubens and instead flippantly said: “I would offer a complete apology to the people of Iran to the suggestion that they may be linked in any way to the Reuben brothers. I wasn’t meaning to be offensive to the people of Iran.” He said he had not been aware the brothers were Jewish and from their names would have thought they were Muslims.

He thought two men named David and Simon Reuben were Muslim.  Is he a complete fool, or is he so arrogant that he takes us for fools?  The Times comment  that he is a lout.  I wouldn't argue with that.

I can't quite work out what the Brothers Reuben have, or have not done regarding the Olympic building project that is so heinous. They apparently own part of the Stratford City site which is integral to the Olympic developement.  I remember Stratford City when it was Stratford market, a not very good market as street markets went, next to the bus station. This, by the way is Stratford atte Bow we are talking about, where Chaucer's Prioress came from.  She who spoke bad French (which failing persists as I prove).  Not Stratford on Avon where Shakespeare came from which is more scenic.

The Brothers Reuben, who were born in Bombay, came to the UK in the 1950s and started with a scrap metal business,  may have reservations about the 40,000 capacity mosque (I was going to say seater, but that's not accurate, 40,000 prostrater perhaps) that is being planned. They may be holding out for the best price for their land. I don't know.  I do know that it will bring a lot of disruption to the area and I don't expect it to bring permanent jobs of the sort that provide stability and long term prosperity. 

London Assembly member Brian Coleman said Mr Livingstone's ayatollah jibe was his "latest anti-Semitic remark".

Suggesting that the Reubens, who are Jews, go to a radical Islamic regime in Iran was "shocking, outrageous and grossly offensive to the entire Jewish Community".

        David and Simon Reuben.

        Ken Livingstone.  Would you buy a burnt out bendy bus from this man?