Ken will express 'regret'

Ken Livingstone will express his "regret" for offensive remarks to a Jewish journalist, one of his closest allies has predicted.

But the Mayor will not say a word on the issue until next week, after Olympic chiefs have finished their visit to assess London's bid for the 2012 Games.

Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron told the Evening Standard she had "no doubt" that Mr Livingstone would apologise "in his own way and in his own time".

Ms Gavron, who is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, stressed that the Mayor was not anti-Semitic and took the Nazi extermination of the Jews as his "moral reference point". "Knowing Ken as I do, in the fullness of time he will say he regrets causing offence. When that is I don't know," she said.

"People looking for it now may be disappointed, but it will happen - of that there is no doubt."

Tony Blair called on Mr Livingstone to apologise yesterday, but the Mayor made clear last night that he would not say anything further until Tuesday.

He will then respond formally to the London Assembly's call for an explanation of his remarks to Standard journalist Oliver Finegold after a party at City Hall last week. Mr Livingstone compared Mr Finegold to a "German war criminal" after being asked about the event to mark former Cabinet minister Chris Smith's 20th anniversary as the first openly gay MP.

Mr Finegold said he found the remark offensive because he is Jewish but Mr Livingstone then compared him to a "concentration camp guard".

Holocaust survivors were appalled and the Board of Deputies of British Jews Standards Board for England. Mr Livingstone does not want to be seen to bow to media pressure and is unlikely to make a full apology. But an "expression of regret at any offence caused" is increasingly seen as the form of words he may use to end the row.

Labour officials are anxious the affair ends soon as it could prove a distraction in the election campaign in London.

Mr Livingstone is likely to take note of the views of his close allies in the capital, particularly Labour MPs who led

the campaign for his readmission to the party.

Hendon South's Andrew Dismore and Regents Park and Kensington North's Karen Buck have Jewish constituents who could swing results. Linda Perham in Ilford also warned her vote could be affected.

Gay politicians said today an apology was needed. Darren Johnson, the Green Party member on the GLA, said: "He should apologise because he's caused enormous offence."