Oona King

She was ditched as an MP in 2005 and told her IVF treatment had failed. But, as she bids to beat Ken Livingstone as Labour's London mayoral candidate, Oona King says that hardship has made her stronger than ever. 

Oona King is often asked why she is returning to the political fray to run for mayor of London after the humiliation of being ousted from one of Labour's safest seats five years ago. It was a campaign she described as "one of the dirtiest" ever fought. Her fall from power came after a vicious battle with George Galloway and his anti-war party Respect, which targeted her because she voted in favour of the Iraq war. Given that 39.2% of voters in her Bethnal Green and Bow constituency in east London were Muslim, her pro-war stance was arguably political suicide.

Ken Livingstone is planning to bring his former rival Oona King into City Hall if he is elected London mayor next week. Lady King will be the young people's champion implementing Labour's manifesto for young Londoners, if Livingstone beats Boris Johnson on 3 May, though the status of her advisory role remains unclear at this stage.

The surprise announcement, a week before polling day, comes 19 months after Livingstone promised to make use of King's talents after he beat her in Labour's selection process for a mayoral candidate.

Livingstone said of his decision to bring the former MP for Bethnal Green and Bow into the fold: "I was consistently impressed by Oona's ideas to help young Londoners during the Labour selection contest. I told her then I'd steal her best policies – now I've gone further, asking her to lead on our work with London's young people and I'm delighted that she's agreed.

"Oona will form an integral part of a fresh Labour administration at City Hall, as we work together to stand up for Londoners being hit hard by a Tory onslaught."