Ken releases list of celeb supporters

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has compiled a list of actors, entertainers and celebrities who support his campaign for a third term in office. Among his backers are Blur frontman Damon Albarn, comedians Bill Bailey and Jo Brand, artists Anthony Gormley and Banksy and actors Emma Thompson and Prunella Scales. Londoners will vote for a Mayor and the 25-member Assembly on May 1st. A majority of opinion polls indicate a very tight race between Mr Livingstone and his Conservative rival Boris Johnson. Jonathan Porritt, the noted environmentalist, is among those pledging Mr Livingstone their first or second preference vote. “The prospect of Boris as Mayor is just so scary,” he said. Mr Livingstone will be visiting a Sikh temple in London with the Prime Minister Gordon Brown today. “The choice is clear on 1st May,” he said. “London can vote to continue to move forward further as one of the world’s most forward-looking and progressive cities, or it can retreat into a narrow, backward looking, Conservative London under Boris Johnson.” The full list of figures from entertainment, the arts, and environmental movements who have said that they are supporting Mr Livingstone in either the first or second round of the Mayoral election are: Damon Albarn, Banksy, Jo Brand, Bill Bailey, Billy Bragg,Apprentice winner Tim Campbell, Anthony Gormley, Phill Jupitus, Peter Kennard, Alistair McGowan, Jonathan Porritt, Vince Power, Tony Robinson, Prunella Scales, Arthur Smith, Ralph Steadman, Emma Thompson, Richard Wilson, Robert Wyatt and Vivienne Westwood. A spokesperson for the Boris Johnson campaign said: “Ken Livingstone says he wants to focus on policies and not celebrities and yet he does the opposite. “On a day when Boris Johnson is meeting shopkeepers that have been robbed several times in this city, the Mayor chooses to focus on people who make the gossip pages and not the news pages. “Ken has said this election is not Celebrity Big Brother, yet clearly he is now trying to cover up for his lack of new ideas.” Lib Dem hopeful Brian Paddick, formerly the most senior out gay policeman in the UK, is far behind in the polls but he has a strong lead in the celeb stakes. In January his friends Sir Elton John and David Furnish, probably the most famous gay couple in the world, threw a fundraising dinner where they told 20 celebrity guests why they are backing the Paddick campaign. Hollywood star Christian Slater, comedian David Walliams, TV star Dale Winton and Tamara Mellon of Jimmy Choo fame were among those who attended. Boris Johnson has won the backing of property developers, hedge fund managers, lobbyists and art dealers. Among those donating were Tim Rice, the Oscar-winning lyricist, who worked with Sir Elton on The Lion King. He gave £2,000. Theatre impressario Sir Cameron Mackintosh, once described as “the most successful, influential and powerful producer of our time,” donated £10,000 to the Boris campaign. Londoners will go to the polls to elect a Mayor and the 25-member London Assembly on May 1st. Full list of candidates for Mayor of London: Richard Barnbrook British National Party Gerard Batten UK Independence Party Sian Berry Green Party Alan Craig Christian Peoples Alliance and Christian Party Lindsey German The Left List Boris Johnson Conservative Party Ken Livingstone Labour Party Winston McKenzie Independent Matt O’Connor English Democrats Brian Paddick Liberal Democrats

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