Ken Livingstone’s campaign to be the Labour Party candidate for Mayor of London in 2012 is gathering serious momentum. He has won the support of the Unite inion and Diane Abbott, one of five contenders for the Labour Party leadership, is the latest London MP to back Mr Livingstone over his rival Oona King. Ms Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said she was backing the former London Mayor because his experience of the job between 2000 and 2008 makes him the person best placed to protect people in the capital from the worst of the cuts to be imposed by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
She said: “I’m backing Ken because he stood up for London under Tory and Labour governments alike, and that experience and knowledge of London politics will be an asset in these difficult times. Politics under the new Government is changing for the worse and we need a mayor who will protect Londoners from the recession and the government’s attacks. Between Boris Johnson and David Cameron, we face an onslaught, with jobs, pay, benefits and services cut, bus fare increases that have hit the poorest hardest, higher VAT and higher student fees in the pipeline. Ken is the right person to stand up against this agenda and get the best for Londoners.”
Mr Livingstone’s well-oiled political machine has been so successful in drumming up support among MPs and activists that it threatens to leave Ms King, who lost Bethnal Green and Bow to George Galloway, at the starting gate. As well as Ms Abbott he also has the support of David Lammy, MP for Tottenham; Jon Cruddas, MP for Dagenham and Rainham; Karen Buck, MP for Westminster North; Virendra Sharma, MP for Ealing Southall; Chuka Umunna, MP for Streatham; London MEP Claude Moraes and six of the eight Labour London Assembly members, as well as council leaders such as Julian Bell (Ealing); Ann John (Brent); Peter John (Southwark); Claire Kober (Haringey), Liam Smith (Barking and Dagenham) and Catherine West (Islington) and several Labour group leaders in opposition including Stephen Cowan (Hammersmith and Fulham); Paul Dimoldenberg (Westminster); Mo Khursheed (Hillingdon) and Tony Newman (Croydon).
The winner will be announced on September 24 on the eve of the party conference in Manchester. Boris Johnson, the Conservative incumbent, is expected to declare his intention to run again in the next few weeks.
