Livingstone told reporters this morning at a press conference that he would not say sorry after previously saying he would express regret for his comments. But he also made it clear that he had not intended to cause offence to Jewish Londoners with his remarks.
"I have been deeply affected by the concern of Jewish people in particular, that my comments downplayed the horror and magnitude of the Holocaust. I wish to say to those Londoners that my words were not intended to cause such offence and that my view remains that the Holocaust against the Jews is the greatest racial crime of the 20th century," he said.
He said that a week ago he stated that it was not his intention to apologise to the Daily Mail group journalist nor his employers and after a week's reflection he was not in the mood for changing his mind.
"Upon a further week of reflection, in which I have read everything written in the press about this controversy and after considerable debate with many Londoners, I have decided to stand by that position. There will therefore be no apology or expression of regret to the Daily Mail group," he said.
The Mayor went on to remind reporters of the Daily Mail's history of support for anti-semitism and fascism, with the war of words between Livingstone and Associated Newspapers escalating as it was revealed that senior staffers on Standard sister paper the Daily Mail attended a party dressed as Nazis.
Livingstone has called on Associated to answer allegations about the Nazi fancy dress, which the newspaper group failed to do other than admitting that the event did take place at a party in 1992.
At the party for the retirement of then Daily Mail editor, David English, he and all his editorial staff dressed up as Hitler and other members of the Third Reich. Drama critic Jack Tinker dressed as Goebbels was said to have "brought the house down".
This story is detailed in the book 'An Unlikely Hero', a history of the Daily Mail.
"An editorial in the Evening Standard [Monday] demands that I apologise for my remarks because of 'offence given to those who endured the camps'. Is it not a hundred times more offensive for the most senior management of Associated Newspapers to dress as leading figures of the Nazi regime?" Livingstone asked.
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