Livingstone Accused

Former mayor in desperate bid to dissociate himself from party of Phil Woolas

Former London mayor Ken Livingstone has been accused of campaigning for a non-Labour candidate in a cynical bid to improve his own electability.

Livingstone joined the campaign for Lutfur Rahman, who is standing as an independent for executive mayor of Tower Hamlets council after Labour's National Executive Committee sought to rectify an electoral error by the electorate.

Livingstone was selected as Labour's candidate for mayor after defeating Oona King, who lost the parliamentary seat of Bethnal Green and Bow to George Galloway after a previous voter dysfunction episode in 2005.

Neil Kinnock, Harriet Harman and other figures who pass for heavyweights in the modern Labour party have turned out to campaign for the NEC's candidate in Tower Hamlets, Helal Abbas. Kinnock described Livingstone's actions with merciful brevity.

Livingstone was expelled from the Labour party ten years ago and was elected mayor of London as an independent. Having been re-admitted to the party in 2004, he was subsequently defeated by the London Haystack.

Party insiders have wondered why Livingstone has now sought to jeopardise his chances by dissociating himself from a defeated and despised party that includes the likes of Phil Woolas and Caroline Flint.