Freedom of Speech ... or Thought?

So some unelected tribunal has condemned Ken Livingstone - elected Mayor of London - to four weeks' suspension from office.
Who the hell is this tribunal? Who said they had the power to suspend him? How can they - whoever they are - take away the authority of an elected person?
Surely the only authority that can do that is the courts after due consideration of criminality.
Ken Livingstone is a figure of loving or loathing. Whether or not you agree with his policies, actions and statements, there is only one way to express your disagreement - the ballot box. This is the democratic way. This is the only way in a democratic society or else rule by dictatorship is the norm.
There are many things Mr Livingstone says with which I strongly disagree. In the past he has been an extremist to the point of ridicule.
In this instance he likened a Jewish newspaper reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard. That was extremely insensitive. But did he even know at the time that the reporter was Jewish? Should that have made a difference? Of course it shouldn't! The Daily Mail, for which he works, is milking it for all it's worth.
Of course the newspaper will make as much of it as they can. It's a headline-grabbing story and they want to get what they can in the way of publicity for the story.
I am uncomfortable with the fact that elected people - whatever their views - can be unelected by others than the electorate.
I'm incoherently rambling on - so nuff said.