Ken Livingstone

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Post-mayoral career

Mayor Johnson, the man who was re-elected, paid tribute to Livingstone and his "very impressive contributions" and hopes that the new administration would "discover a way in which the mayoralty can continue to prosper from London's transparent love of London." Despite reversing several Livingstone's policies, Johnson's government modified several of Livingstone's plans, for instance overturning the contract for Venezuelan oil. Livingstone announced in August that he would be advising in Caracas with a commitment to giving Venezuela the "advice that we promised." Livingstone predicted that in 20 years it would be a "first-world city" and that it would be able to help with his "wide network of contacts both domestic and international."

Livingstone retaliated in the Gaza war by urging the European Union and the United Kingdom to recall their ambassadors to Israel. He appeared on the book review service Epilogue for the Iranian state-sponsored international news channel Press TV, for which he was chastised by Iranian exile groups. He spoke at the Durham Miners' Gala in July 2010, arguing that spending cuts by David Cameron's coalition government were not necessary. In September, he blasted the cuts, claiming they were "beyond Margaret Thatcher's wildest hopes" and threatening to spread inequality and poverty in London. Livingstone said in May 2011 that he was "appalled" that Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been killed by US Special forces "in his pyjamas" and "in front of his child," and that the values of a western democracy would have been more apparent if bin Laden had been on trial.

Livingstone ran as Labour's nominee in the 2012 London mayoral election, again criticizing Johnson. When he joked that the election was "a clear choice between good and evil," his campaign came under fire. Livingstone was accused of antisemitism by Jewish Labour supporters after claiming that, being largely wealthy, London's Jewish population would not vote for him. He denied making the remarks, but apologised later. "Every psephological report I've seen in the 40 years I've been following politics shows the main determinant that influences how people vote is their income level," he said. And it is not anti-Semitic to say so."

Johnson's campaign emphasized the suspicion that Livingstone was guilty of tax evasion, for which Livingstone called Johnson a "bare-faced liar." Livingstone's campaign suffered as a result of its emphasis on attacking Johnson rather than on presenting a more nimble, progressive vision of London's future, according to political scientist Andrew Crines. Livingstone had been described as an over-familiar and politically worn figure by the populace, according to critics. Johnson gained 1,054,811 votes to Livingstone's 992,273. Livingstone resigned from politics after criticizing media bias against him. In April 2014, the former Johnson expressed his hope that the latter will be leader of the Conservative Party and advised Labour "not to make the mistake of assuming they're dealing with a lazy tosser who just wants to be there."

Livingstone endorsed Sadiq Khan for the London mayoral election in 2015 and, in July, endorsed Jeremy Corbyn in the 2015 Labour Party leadership election. Livingstone, one of Corbyn's most prominent allies, was appointed to co-convene Labour's defence study alongside Maria Eagle in November 2015. Livingstone's shadow defence minister, Kevan Jones, expressed the belief that the party was ignorant of defence and that it would jeopardize the party's image. Jones, who has expressed anxiety about his own clinical depression, requires "psychiatric assistance," Livingstone said. Jones was angered, and although Livingstone initially refused to apologise, he later did so at Corbyn's request.

Following a television appearance in which he said that the perpetrators of the 2005 London bombings carried out their conduct as revenge for the United Kingdom's participation in the Iraq war, Livingstone came under fresh criticism. Livingstone faced suspicion of hypocrisy in March 2016 by comparing a hedge fund manager's £16,800 gift to Labour MP Dan Jarvis to "Jimmy Savile funding a children's charity." Livingstone said that it was "different standards" rather than "double standards," he was paid for a speaking engagement in which he would have advised the audience that the city must invest more money in the economy, which he felt was different from taking a political donation from a hedge fund manager.

Following a BBC Radio London interview in which Livingstone said "When Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews be relocated to Israel." He was supporting Zionism before he went insane and killed six million Jews. Since it was revealed that Shah had posted a satirical map on Facebook, Livingstone had been invited to discuss Labour MP Naz Shah's suspension, it was suggested that Israel be relocated to the United States. Shah's tweets, which were created before she became an MP in 2015, were "rude and over the top," but not antisemitic, according to Livingstone, who said he had never encountered antisemitism in Labour.

Livingstone defended his assertion about Hitler and Zionism by quoting Lenni Brenner's Zionism in the Age of the Dictators, but several commentators speculated that Livingstone was referring to the Haavara Agreement between Nazi Germany and the Zionist Federation of Germany. Livingstone's remarks were criticized by historians including Timothy D. Snyder, Roger Moorhouse, and Andrew Roberts, but academic scholar Norman Finkelstein said that although "Lifestone certainly wasn't precise enough, and lacked nuance," his remarks reflected Hitler's early ambival against Zionism.

More than 20 Labour MPs have protested Livingstone's resignation, and recently elected Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for his dismissal. Livingstone's founding, Jon Lansman, has called for Livingstone to abandon politics entirely. John Mann, a Labour MP, attacked Livingstone in a public speaking out against him, accusing him of being a "liar" and a "Nazi apologist." Livingstone expressed regret for mentioning Hitler and for those Jews he offended, but also said, "I'm not going to apologise for telling the truth." He said that calling him an antisemite was "absurd" because he had two former Jewish girlfriends and that he may have maternal Jewish ancestry. Livingstone said there was a "well-orchestrated movement by the Israel lobby to smear anyone who criticizes Israeli policy as antisemitic."

Corbyn revealed that the decision to expel Livingstone by a National Executive Committee (NEC) internal investigation would be made by a National Executive Committee (NEC) internal committee; Livingstone insisted that he would be cleared, but "how can the truth be an offence?" Livingstone had brought the party into disrepute, according to Labour's National Constitutional Committee, his suspension will continue for another year. Tom Watson, Labour's deputy leader, said that it was "incomprehensible" that the NEC had not condemned Livingstone; Corbyn, dissatisfied with Livingstone's inability to "answer or apologise for the harm he caused," according to a recent NEC probe into Livingstone's deposition, "to accept or apologise for the harm he caused." In March 2018, the National Executive Committee extended Livingstone's suspension indefinitely, with outgoing general secretary Iain McNicol signing off shortly before standing down.

On May 21, 2018, Livingstone resigned from Labour, saying that the issues surrounding his suspension had become a distraction. His lawyers argued that if he had been dismissed, it would take at least two years to file an appeal. However, under Corbyn, he retained his support for a possible Labour government. Livingstone told the LBC that after Corbyn became the head of Corbyn, he asked members of Corbyn's staff how he should respond at times when he was overwhelmed by media interest. Labour Against the Witchhunt revealed in April 2019 that he had been elected as the group's honorary president.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission published a study into Livingstone's remarks about the Shah case in October 2020, saying he "denied" that [Shah's] tweets were antisemitic." He attempted to minimize their offensive past by saying that they were only criticizing Israeli policies during a time of unrest with the Palestinians. Naz Shah's behaviour was also suspected as part of an apparent smear campaign by the Israel lobby to stigmatize critics of Israel as antisemitic, as well as being aimed at undermining and disrupting his leadership. The EHRC found that these remarks were unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 and that Labour was legally responsible for the harassment because he was a representative of the party and not a member of the NEC. The Commission also found that his disciplinary case had been influenced by the leaders' office.

Livingstone declared his intention to join the Green Party of England and Wales in January 2022, but urged other socialists to stay within Labour and move toward the "Green-Labour coalition" government. His request for membership was refused after being reviewed by one of the Greens' regional councils.

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