London mayor race 2016: Abbott and Khan in Labour candidate bids

Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Sadiq Khan have announced their bids to be Labour's candidate for mayor of London.

Mr Khan said he wanted to give the next generation of Londoners the same sort of opportunities he had.

Former Labour MP Tessa Jowell and MP for Tottenham David Lammy have also declared their plans to stand.

Author and Journalist Christian Wolmar has said he too will join the race to succeed Tory Boris Johnson.

'London values'

Mr Johnson, who last week was elected Tory MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, first became mayor in 2008 and was re-elected in 2012, but will step down next May when his second term ends.

On BBC London 94.9, Ms Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said "Despite the fact that we've got a Conservative-led government, you can really, as mayor, help to make London a fairer place and a better place and stand up for intrinsically London values."

Mr Khan, re-elected as MP for Tooting, said: "For the last eight years you've seen a red carpet mayor, somebody who is fantastic going to openings, great with a flute of champagne in his hands."

He then tweeted that he planned to be a different kind of mayor, saying he would "roll up my sleeves".

Mr Wolmar said: "The capital needs a mayor who puts communities back at the centre of decision making and who tackles the affordability crisis before it becomes too late.

"That's why my campaign will be based on three key areas: making London more affordable, liveable and sustainable."

Mr Johnson defeated Labour's Ken Livingstone in both the 2008 and 2012 elections. Mr Livingstone was mayor for eight years until his 2008 defeat.

But he was voted in as an Independent candidate in the first mayoral election in 2000 after claiming Labour altered its selection rules to ensure Frank Dobson was picked as the party's official candidate instead of him.