London - The Labour MP Ken Livingstone yesterday rounded on critics who claimed he backed rioters in the City of London last year. In an interview with the style magazine The Face, the London mayoral candidate had said he supported "direct action" when he was asked about the London riots last summer.
Mr Livingstone insisted it was "ridiculous" for people to claim the remarks meant he supported violence.
Launching his campaign yesterday, the Conservative candidate, Mr Steven Norris, said: "The idea that the mayor would approve of the criminal damage that was done in the City just a few months ago is outrageous."