Livingstone, Ken

(1945– )

   Ken Livingstone served as leader of the Greater London Council from 1981 until its abolition in 1986, prior to becoming the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent East. He was noted for his leftwing views, which earned him the nickname ‘Red Ken’. As an MP he did not make a significant impact on national politics, although his forthright views and reputation for plain-speaking won him few friends and sometimes brought him prominence and notoriety. He was elected as the first Mayor of London in 2000 as an independent Labour candidate, having been denied the chance to stand as the official party representative. He was readmitted to the party in early 2004 and – standing this time as the official Labour candidate – was re-elected to the office.

   In 2006, he was suspended from duty for one month following his likening of a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp commandant, an example of his bluntness towards and dismissal of those associated with the tabloid press.