WHAT on earth did ex-London Labour mayor Ken Livingstone think he was playing at supporting a rival candidate for Mayor of Tower Hamlets?

My great uncle, Percy Holman, was Labour & Co-operative MP for Bethnal Green from 1945 t0 1964. I joined the Labour Party in Bethnal Green under his successor, Peter Shore, in 1987.

I later had the honour to work for Oona King in her constituency office and supported her in the 2005 General Election campaign against George Galloway and again this year in her campaign to run as labour candidate for Mayor of London.

Rushanara Ali won a famous victory at this year’s General Election in May and returned the Parliamentary seat to Labour from Respect.

So why did Livingstone appear to be taking on the mantle of Galloway in this unhelpful and apparently unconstitutional attempt to rock the Labour boat?

Uncle Percy must be spinning in his grave!

Tim Bennett-Goodman

Bethnal Green