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 The BBC's Mark Mardell reports"The media attention is still shining benignly upon him"  real 28k  'Frank Dobson should stand down'Labour MP Audrey Wise  real 28k |
Livingstone delays mayor decision
Considering his position...Ken Livingstone on Tuesday
Ken Livingstone has announced that he is no longer intending to say this week whether or not he will stand as an independent candidate in the London mayoral elections.
Speaking to the BBC after two MPs called for Labour's official candidate Frank Dobson to stand down, Mr Livingstone said that he planned to campaign within the party for the next fortnight to secure the candidacy.
Buoyed by the backing of MPs Paul Flynn and Audrey Wise, Mr Livingstone is hoping that a groundswell of opinion will build within London Labour members to get the result of the party's internal contest annulled.
Brentworth and Isleworth, the constituency of Dobson campaign aide Ann Keen, has already called on the former health secretary to stand down.
The Brent East MP, who narrowly lost the controversial electoral college system to Mr Dobson, said that with the election still nine weeks away, the party could afford to take longer to debate the questions he had raised.
He said that the two key areas remained the legitimacy of Mr Dobson's candidature and the unpopularity of the party's partial privatisation plans for the London Underground.
He added that while he had no meetings planned with the deputy leader John Prescott or with Margaret McDonagh, Labour's General Secretary, he would be keeping open lines of communication to the party hierarchy.
Second MP joins call on Dobson
On Wednesday Ms Wise told BBC News Online: "I think that Frank should stand down.
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Buoyed by the backing of MPs Paul Flynn and Audrey Wise, Mr Livingstone is hoping that a groundswell of opinion will build within London Labour members to get the result of the party's internal contest annulled.
Brentworth and Isleworth, the constituency of Dobson campaign aide Ann Keen, has already called on the former health secretary to stand down.
The Brent East MP, who narrowly lost the controversial electoral college system to Mr Dobson, said that with the election still nine weeks away, the party could afford to take longer to debate the questions he had raised.
He said that the two key areas remained the legitimacy of Mr Dobson's candidature and the unpopularity of the party's partial privatisation plans for the London Underground.
He added that while he had no meetings planned with the deputy leader John Prescott or with Margaret McDonagh, Labour's General Secretary, he would be keeping open lines of communication to the party hierarchy.
Second MP joins call on Dobson
On Wednesday Ms Wise told BBC News Online: "I think that Frank should stand down.
Wherever there was a ballot Ken Livingstone won that ballot. I'm not aware that Frank won any of individual ballots in the party or where MPs had ballots of their constituency parties or any of the unions.
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Audrey Wise
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"I think that if Frank does stand down it will increase the respect in which he is held.
"It will be an opportunity to start a healing process, which I think is needed.
"I like Frank Dobson I have a high regard for him, I thought he made an excellent health secretary.
"But I don't think he is the candidate the London Labour Party wants for London mayor.
Calling Labour's selection process "flawed" the MP for Preston added: "If you are going to be a standard bearer you really have to have the confidence of those for whom you are bearing the standard."
'Options not closed'
Speaking at mayoral hustings on Tuesday, Mr Livingstone said that he was trying to resolve the internal crisis and that he did not believe that the party had not "closed the option of Frank standing down".
"It will be an opportunity to start a healing process, which I think is needed.
"I like Frank Dobson I have a high regard for him, I thought he made an excellent health secretary.
"But I don't think he is the candidate the London Labour Party wants for London mayor.
Calling Labour's selection process "flawed" the MP for Preston added: "If you are going to be a standard bearer you really have to have the confidence of those for whom you are bearing the standard."
'Options not closed'
Speaking at mayoral hustings on Tuesday, Mr Livingstone said that he was trying to resolve the internal crisis and that he did not believe that the party had not "closed the option of Frank standing down".
 Frank Dobson: Constituency called for him to go
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"I am trying to sort out an honourable way out of this for the Labour Party so we don't split the party and Londoners don't feel cheated." Mr Livingstone said.
"I am seeking the Labour nomination. The Labour nomination issue is not closed."
Mr Livingstone said party members had resigned over the Dobson victory and that there had been 23,000 telephone protest calls to the party.
But Ms McDonagh said Mr Dobson's candidature was not up for negotiation - and denied that there had anywhere near the number of calls on the mayoral contest that Mr Livingstone claimed.
"The Labour Party records the numbers and subject areas of all of its calls," she said.
"I am seeking the Labour nomination. The Labour nomination issue is not closed."
Mr Livingstone said party members had resigned over the Dobson victory and that there had been 23,000 telephone protest calls to the party.
But Ms McDonagh said Mr Dobson's candidature was not up for negotiation - and denied that there had anywhere near the number of calls on the mayoral contest that Mr Livingstone claimed.
"The Labour Party records the numbers and subject areas of all of its calls," she said.
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