Ken Livingstone: Former London mayor has Alzheimer's, family say

Ken Livingstone was a major figure in London's politics for decades

Former London mayor Ken Livingstone has Alzheimer's disease, his family has announced.

The 78-year-old is being "well cared for by his family and friends" as he lives a "private life" in retirement, they told the PA news agency.

Mr Livingstone became the first directly elected mayor of London in 2000, a role he held for eight years.

He resigned from the Labour Party in 2018 over accusations of antisemitism, which he had denied.

His family said: "In response to media inquiries, the Livingstone family today announce that Ken Livingstone, ex-MP for Brent and former mayor of London, has been diagnosed with and is living with Alzheimer's disease.

"Although a previously prominent public figure, Ken is now retired and lives a private life.

"Ken is being well cared for by his family and friends and we ask you for your understanding and to respect his privacy and that of his family."

Alzheimer's is a physical illness that damages the brain. The Alzheimer's Society says it is the most common cause of dementia in the UK.

• The ongoing legacy of 'Red Ken' Livingstone

Mr Livingstone was a prominent figure in London politics from the 1970s.

In his heyday, "Red Ken" was a thorn in the side both of Margaret Thatcher's Tories and, later, New Labour under Tony Blair.

Mr Livingstone, pictured here with Neil Kinnock, has been a prominent figure on the left of the Labour Party

In defiance of the Labour Party, Mr Livingstone stood as an independent to become the directly elected mayor of London when the powerful post was first created.

In his second term, which he won as the official Labour candidate, he earned praise for the way he stood up for the capital after the July 2005 suicide bombings and helped the city win its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

Mr Livingstone lost control of City Hall in 2008 when he was defeated by Boris Johnson and a failed bid to return to office in 2012 marked the end of his electoral ambitions.

He became embroiled in a string of allegations about antisemitism, over which he quit the Labour Party in 2018.

It came after a long-running row over his claims that Adolf Hitler had backed Zionism in the 1930s, which had originally seen him suspended from the party in 2016.

Mr Livingstone did not accept that he was guilty of antisemitism or that he had brought Labour into disrepute.

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