The influential backbench MP Jon Cruddas has endorsed Ken Livingstone to be Labour’s candidate for London Mayor.

In a statement, Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, said:

London has faced economic upheaval in recent years, and will soon come under serious attack from the national government as it imposes a series of devastating cuts on the services Londoners rely on.

The Mayor of London can play a big role in defending Londoners from these cuts, and building an alternative to the conservative agenda. Labour needs a candidate who can win in 2012, uniting the party and taking the fight to a Boris Johnson administration that has let Londoners down.

Labour needs a candidate who will be a top class Mayor from day one, who knows the levers of power, and how to use power in the interests of all Londoners. For me, Labour’s candidate must be Ken Livingstone. He has my vote, and I call on all Labour members to unite behind him too.

Ken Livingstone today formally applied to be Labour’s candidate for Mayor of London.

I want to be Mayor of London for one overriding reason; I want to do everything I can to protect Londoners from the recession and the effects of the new government?s policies. If I am selected and then elected by Londoners my aim is to use every lever to make sure our quality of life is protected and improved.

Not a mayor who spends his time defending bankers but instead one who will use Mayoral budgets and powers to protect ordinary Londoners.

Instead of Boris Johnson?s wasteful projects we must concentrate on defending public services and holding down fares. We need to halt the present short-sighted policy of cutting 455 police officers and if elected Mayor I will stop Boris Johnson?s threat of cuts to the 630 safer neighbourhood police teams.

I believe it is absolutely essential that the Mayor of London is accountable and regularly holds press conferences with the media. It is astounding that under Boris Johnson there are just two press conferences listed on the GLA website in the last year. What does Boris Johnson have to hide?

My campaign for Labour?s candidate for Mayor is broad-based. I have received backing from all parts of London and all sections of the Labour Party with councillors, MPs, trade unions, Young Labour members, and CLP officers joining with me to campaign for a better future for our great city.

Ken visited Labour Party HQ and handed in his nomination form alongside the Chair of his campaign, David Lammy MP.

The nomination form can be downloaded from www.kenlivingstone.com.

Ken’s supporters:
Val Shawcross AM, London Assembly member for Lambeth and Southwark
Nicky Gavron AM
Lord Toby Harris
Claude Moraes MEP
David Lammy MP, Tottenham
Jon Cruddas MP, Dagenham
Jeremy Corbyn MP, Islington North
John Cryer MP, Leyton and Wanstead
Virendra Sharma MP, Ealing Southall
Andy Slaughter MP, Hammersmith
Cat Smith, Vice Chair, London Young Labour
Tom Copley, London Rep, Young Labour National Committee
Louise Haigh, TULO officer ? London Young Labour
Ben Furneaux, Youth Officer ? Ruislip CLP
Veronica King, Tooting CLP women?s officer
Steve Hart, Regional Secretary, UNITE (personal capacity)
Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary
Cllr Claire Kober, Leader ? Haringey
Cllr Liam Smith, Leader ? Barking and Dagenham
Cllr Catherine West, Leader ? Islington
Cllr Julian Bell, Leader, Leader – Ealing
Cllr Stephen Cowan, Labour group leader, Hammersmith and Fulham
Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, Labour group leader, Westminster
Cllr Mo Khursheed, Labour group leader, Hillingdon
Cllr Tony Newman, Labour group leader, Croydon
Cllr Jonathan Simpson, Mayor of Camden
Cllr Martin Whelton – Cabinet member for community and culture, Merton
Cllr Alan Hall, Chair Lewisham Labour Group; Chair, Lewisham West & Penge CLP
Cllr Paul Convery, LB Islington
Cllr Leonie Cooper, LB Wandsworth
Cllr Sue Sampson, Hounslow
Cllr Paul Sathianesan, Newham
Cllr George Savva MBE, Enfield
Cllr Richard Livingstone, Southwark

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6. Red Ken, Blue London? « Bad Conscience

   [...] in Labour, London, Politics at 4:08 pm by Paul Sagar Jon Cruddas has endorsed Ken Livingstone as Labour’s candidate for Mayor of London. This in itself doesn’t [...]