Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone has endorsed Labour candidate John Biggs for Mayor of Tower Hamlets in the May elections.
The announcement comes after a team of government-appointed auditors visited the Town Hall on Friday to launch an investigation into allegations of “mismanagement and fraud” at the council.
Last week, Mr Livingstone appeared on the BBC and defended Mayor Lutfur Rahman over a BBC Panorama report that prompted the investigation.
The endorsement of Mr Biggs marks a shift of allegiance from the former Labour Mayor of London, who campaigned for Lutfur Rahman when he was elected in 2010.
In a statement released today, he said: “John’s represented the most diverse constituency in Britain with integrity.
“He worked with me for the eight years I was mayor, throughout which I was impressed with his honesty, competence and ability to unite communities.
“I’m endorsing John Biggs for Mayor of Tower Hamlets.”
Mr Livingstone recently became an advisor for Mayor Rahman’s £900million regeneration of Whitechapel.
He campaigned for Lutfur Rahman in the 2010 mayoral election against his own party after Mr Rahman was deselected by Labour and ran as an independent.
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