Livingstone to stand down as MP

Livingstone will be saying goodbye to Brent East voters

Ken Livingstone has announced he will stand down as an MP at the next election.

The London mayor said he would not be seeking re-election for his seat in Brent East as being an MP "is not really a job for grown-ups".

Mr Livingstone was ejected from the Labour party earlier this year when he announced he would stand as an independent candidate in the mayoral election against the official Labour candidate, Frank Dobson.

Speaking on ITV's Trevor McDonald Meets the Newsmakers, he indicated that he now wished to concentrate on his new role.

"I'm not seeking re-election. I think probably you could do both things [MP as well as mayor of London] the same way you can be both foreign secretary or chancellor.

"Being an MP is not really a job for grown-ups - I mean you are wandering around looking for and making trouble."

'Ghastly apparatchiks'

On the issue of possible re-entry into the Labour Party, he said: "If they have me back, it won't change any of the decisions I take, I'll still do what I think is right.

"When you have to say the government is wrong, you have to. I will not be told what to do by somebody operating behind closed doors."

Mr Livingstone went on to say he might not have won the mayoral election if "all those ghastly little Labour apparatchiks had ignored me".

Asked whether he had become a monarchist following his attendance of a lunch to help celebrate the Queen Mother's 100th birthday, he said "life would be better with a republic".

"It would certainly be better for the Royal Family if it was a republic. But I recognise that they are a bit more popular than I am and they will most likely see me out," he added.