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9 unusual facts about Ken Livingstone


Allan Roberts

Roberts had made enough of a name for himself to become a columnist in the Labour Herald (a newspaper set up by the Labour left, including Ken Livingstone) in 1983.

David Lammy

Lammy pledged his support to Ken Livingstone's bid to become the Labour London Mayoral candidate, declaring him "London's Mayor in waiting".

Earl Brutus

Proceeds from the event, which also featured a DJ set from Mani of Primal Scream, were donated to Ken Livingstone's London Mayoral election campaign.

Hymenochirus curtipes

British Labour politician and first elected mayor of London Ken Livingstone was the first ever person to breed Hymenochirus curtipes in captivity.

International Marxist Group

Different tendencies developed in the organisation over how to relate to the political evolution of figures like Ken Livingstone and Arthur Scargill.

Mark Francois

He stood for Brent East during the 1997 general election, and lost to Ken Livingstone (who later became the Mayor of London).

Mark Watts

Mark Watts, Executive Director of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, previously Director of Arup, and Climate Change and Transport adviser to the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone

Tim Donovan

He won Broadcaster of the Year in the 2001 BT awards, for a report on Ken Livingstone's campaign to become mayor, having followed him around for a month with a digital video camera.

Walnut Whip

Ken Livingstone famously said the London 2012 Summer Olympics will cost Londoners the price of one Walnut Whip (38p) per week.


Frank Dobson

He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Health from 1997 to 1999, and was the official Labour Party candidate for Mayor of London in 2000, ultimately finishing third in the election, behind Conservative Steven Norris and winner Ken Livingstone.

Hard left

Politicians associated with the hard left in the Labour Party included Diane Abbott, Jeremy Corbyn, Ken Livingstone, Dennis Skinner and Eric Heffer.

Islam Expo

There was also a fun fair in the grounds and lectures by various people from within and outside the Islamic population like Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, singer Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens and Muslim BBC news reporter Asad Ahmad.

Kiyan Prince

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, in response to the killing, has said that he will discuss with the Home Secretary and the Lord Chancellor about assigning maximum imprisonment sentences for those who carry knives.

London Socialist Alliance

It stood candidates in the for the Greater London Assembly Election in 2000, but supported Ken Livingstone in the mayoral elections held at the same time.

London Tourist Board

The abolition of the Greater London Council in 1986 had been preceded by the withdrawal of funding from LTB by GLC (in 1983), as LTB was squeezed between the Margaret Thatcher Government and the left-wing GLC led by Ken Livingstone.

Matthew Wright

In February 2014, Wright hosted The Big Benefits Row: Live on Channel 5, a live debate about benefits with guests including Ken Livingstone, Annabel Giles and outspoken newspaper columnist Katie Hopkins.

Red-green alliance

Incumbent mayor Ken Livingstone, candidate for the Labour Party, formed an electoral pact with the Green Party mayoral candidate Siân Berry via the supplementary voting system, in which Labour voters were encouraged to place the Green candidate as their second preference, and vice versa.


see also

World Land Trust

Other high profile supporters of the Trust have included Ken Livingstone, David Bellamy, Bill Oddie, Frank Thornton, Simon Barnes and Mark Carwardine .