The role guarantees means she’ll serve as Deputy Mayor if Livingstone succeeds in his campaign to unseat successor Boris Johnson.
Shawcross, pictured above campaigning with Livingstone during his unsuccessful 2008 re-election bid, was first elected to the London Assembly in 2000.
In an interview with this site to mark the Greater London Authority’s 10th Anniversary Livingstone, who was elected as an independent Mayor in 2000 after being expelled from Labour, said he had identified Shawcross as someone he could work with “from an early stage”.
In the interview Livingstone said Shawcross was initially “very distrustful” until she “realised I was interested in making this work and came on board”.
Since then Shawcross has become a staunch backer of Livingstone and was an early endorser of his campaign to become Labour’s Mayoral candidate in 2012.
Livingstone today said he was “delighted” that Shawcross had accepted his invitation to serve as running mate, adding she would “begin work immediately by leading the campaign in the coming weeks against the Conservatives’ unfair fare increases.”
“Val is an extremely able, competent and talented advocate for London who will bring a new perspective and a fresh approach combined with a proven understanding of the whole of London to Labour’s campaign to win back City Hall in 2012.”
Shawcross said she was “looking forward to working with Ken to build a winning campaign to win back the Mayoralty and then to get London back on track based on protecting Londoners in difficult times and showing that there is a fairer alternative to the cuts and higher fares of the government and Boris Johnson.”
