Eight candidates to fight it out to be Labour's London mayor

Dame Tessa Jowell says she wants to build 2,000 new affordable homes a year on public sector land

Eight candidates will fight it out to be Labour's choice to be the next mayor of London.

Candidates include one ex-MP, four current MPs, a writer, a former mayor of Lambeth and one journalist.

All will vie to get on a shortlist next month, chosen by a committee of the Labour Party.

Then will lie ahead weeks of campaigning, hustings and media appearances before the winner emerges in the middle of September.

David Lammy was re-elected as Labour MP for Tottenham on Friday with an increased majority

The line up is:

• Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North & Stoke Newington since 1987, former health minister

• Tessa Jowell, former MP for Dulwich & West Norwood, former Culture Secretary and Olympics minister

• Sadiq Khan, MP for Tooting, former transport minister, shadow minister for London

• David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, former minister for universities and skills

• Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West, former international development minister

• Christian Wolmar, journalist and author specialising in transport issues.

• Dr Neeraj Patil, an A&E consultant and former mayor of Lambeth

• Keran Kerai, a writer from Harrow

Labour is running a selection process based on the primary principle that extends voting rights to supporters who sign up to the party and pay a £3 fee by the middle of August.

Diane Abbott said she would "stand up for intrinsically London values"

But the first hurdle is to get nominations from at least five Labour constituency branches in London and at least one nomination from a so-called Labour affiliate, including unions, the Co-op or Fabian Society.

Tories yet to come

Candidates will be interviewed on 13 June by a selection committee made up of three members of the London regional board and three members of the party's national executive committee.

A shortlist will be revealed that day.

The process will run in parallel with Labour's selection of a new leader.

The Conservatives have not yet revealed when they plan to run their selection process although three people - deputy mayor Stephen Greenhalgh, London Assembly member Andrew Boff and businessman Ivan Massow - have so far said they are running.