Opposition parties slam Livingstone's mayoral candidacy

London Labour Party members have overwhelmingly endorsed Ken Livingstone as the Labour candidate for June's mayoral election - a result opposition parties have slammed as "cynical".

Labour Delegates voted by 94% in favour of selecting Mr Livingstone as the Labour Party candidate with over 45% of members voting in the ballot.

After the result, Mr Livingstone said: “London has started the investment in its services it needs. We have made a good start and Londoners are starting to see the difference. London's police numbers are at an all-time high. Policies to cut congestion and improve the bus service are starting to have a real impact.”

However, both opposition parties were highly critical of the move, laying charges of cynicism and opportunism at the door of No 10.

The Conservative co-chairman Dr Liam Fox said the decision was a reflection on "Labour hypocrisy" as, he claimed, Mr Livingstone was "a man who has spouted such venom against so many things which he professes to support".

"This announcement is further proof of how discredited Tony Blair has become within London and his own party. If he is still prepared to support Ken Livingstone despite his very vocal opposition to George Bush, and capitalism to name but a few, it begs the question: is there any moral or political conviction Tony Blair is prepared to stand by?" he said.

The Lib Dems went further still and launched their ‘Blair Mayor Project’ dossier which, according to the Party, contains "the failures of New Labour in London over the Mayoral term and since Mr Blair became Prime Minister".

The report claims: the Greater London Authority tax take has doubled since Mr Livingstone came to power; £20 million of taxpayers money has been spent on self publicity by the Mayor in the last year; and 40,000 manufacturing jobs in London have been lost in the last six years.

London Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes said: "Mr Livingstone and Mr Blair are joining together in a cynical marriage of political convenience. Hundreds of thousands of Londoners, whether young, old, in business or unemployed are worse off under New Labour and this New Labour Mayor.

"Many Londoners will feel cheated by Mr Livingstone who pretended to be independent and cheated by Mr Blair who has repeatedly warned our city against electing him.

"When trust is so important to so many people and institutions, it is incredible that the Prime Minister and the Mayor can so brazenly stab Londoners in the back and think they can get away with it."

(gmcg)