The aftermath of Mr Lewis

Ray Lewis has resigned. He was right to do so.

But this resignation raises a couple of issues.

These are not only the obvious points about Boris's initial judgment (too trusting) or his subsequent ruthlessness (more like Cameron, and please do contrast with Livingstone/Jasper).
Nor just the points about a self-publicist's economy with the actuality in a CV (Lewis's wishful claim that he was a Justice of the Peace evokes the various boasts of Jeffrey Archer).

First, even taking the allegations against Lewis at their highest, the media campaign against him was ferocious. In part it reminded me of the campaign against the nomination of Clarence Thomas or when John Taylor stood in Cheltenham (and Liberal Democrats should still be very deeply ashamed about their tactics there). It had a whiff of "how dare a man from such a ethnic background support the conservatives".

In this case the ferocity knocked the target over flat. And here the target was right to go (and indeed should not have been appointed so easily, if at all). Nonetheless, it does worry me that anyone from certain ethnic backgrounds who support or work with conservatives has to face this fury - which they would not do if they were from another ethnic background.

Second, Lewis promoted an alternative understanding of youth crime. It was not all the fault of the State/Society/Prejudice. It actually had something to do with changeable behaviour and moral decision-making. This - of course - is a heresy. Lewis's own implementation of this understanding at his "Academy" has triggered concerns. Further investigation may uncover abuses - or he may be cleared. But whatever comes out, I wonder if the understanding he promoted will now also be "discredited"?