Mayor campaigns for Labour

Ken Livingstone will be a star attraction of Labour's local election campaign, heightening speculation that he may yet become the party's mayoral candidate.

He will canvass in Brent, Hammersmith and Lambeth this week, despite his expulsion from the party after he ran for Mayor as an independent candidate. The arrangement has been sanctioned by Labour's high command which is struggling to find an attractive candidate to challenge Mr Livingstone when he seeks re-election in 2004.

Mr Livingstone was banned for five years after standing for the mayoralty but relations between him and the party hierarchy appear to have improved.

He also campaigned for Labour candidates in a handful of seats during the general election.