As the final full week of Labour’s Mayoral selection contest closes, Ken Livingstone has unveiled the backing of a further two London Labour MPs taking his total to 17, more than the 14 declared for rival Oona King.
Having initially insisted they weren’t “taking anything for granted”, Livingstone’s campaign team are today claiming the endorsements of MPs Tessa Jowell and Meg Hillier, who also served on the London Assembly between 2000-2004, show momentum is with their candidate.
In statements released by the Livingstone campaign Hillier called the former Mayor “a doughty campaigner” while Shadow London Minister Jowell claimed he had the “new ideas, experience and determination” to beat Boris Johnson in 2012.
Welcoming the endorsements Livingstone said he was “delighted to have support that now includes London MPs, hundreds of Councillors, Assembly Members, Trade Unionists, MEPs and party members from all parts of the capital who are backing our campaign to win back City Hall and protect the capital from cuts.”
Voting closes next Wednesday (22nd September) with the result due to be announced on Friday morning.