By politics.co.uk staff

Oona King is expected to line herself up as Labour’s challenger against Boris Johnson in the upcoming London Mayoral election.

The former Bethnal Green and Bow MP would have to challenge Ken Livingstone for the role.

The winner will be decided at the party conference in the autumn, at the same time as the Labour leader contest.

Ms King was a well liked and respected figure in the Commons but her support for Tony Blair’s decision to invade Iraq saw her pay a heavy price in her predominantly Muslim constituency, which she lost to George Galloway, standing as a Respect candidate.