Labour chief loses seat

13 April 2012

One of Ken Livingstone's biggest allies in running the capital was dumped from the London Assembly today.

Toby Harris, leader of the Labour Group and chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, lost his constituency seat for Brent & Harrow.

Lord Harris, who has worked closely with Mr Livingstone and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens, was defending a slim 4,380 majority in Mr Livingstone's old stomping ground as an MP in North West London.

"It has been a tide against us and electorally obviously I am disappointed," Lord Harris said after being defeated by the Conservative Robert Blackman.

Lord Harris got 35,214 votes compared with Mr Blackman's 39,900. Mr Blackman now has a majority of 4,686 and recorded 31.53% of the vote compared with Lord Harris' 27.83%.

Labour's loss here could revive a deadly rivalry between Mr Livingstone and Mr Blackman who was the former leader of Brent Council when Mr Livingstone was the MP for Brent East in the 1980s.

Lord Harris said: "I am proud about what I have been able to do for the people of Brent & Harrow.

"In terms of the Metropolitan Police Authority, that is something I have worked very hard on.

"I am pleased about the enormous strides we have been able to do on the police authority in the last four years."

The loss of his seat places Lord Harris' chairmanship of the MPA, the body which oversees the Met Police, in jeopardy.

The post has become more high profile in recent years with London's high state of terrorist alert and Britain's foremost position in the war against terror.

The shift in the make-up of the 25-strong London Assembly, whose job is to scrutinise the work of the London Mayor, could mean that Mr Livingstone will face tougher challenges in getting his budget passed if he is re-elected.

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