Ken Livingstone today launched his campaign to become Labour’s candidate for mayor of London, joining with local members in Croydon to spearhead efforts to sign up new members to the party.

He pointed to the cuts and fare increases that have hit London, including the borough of Croydon, since Boris Johnson was elected mayor as an example of how the next mayor must bring a different approach to City Hall.

He said that the combination of the global economic crisis, a fragile recovery, and a government removing billions from the economy and planning cuts on a scale that Britain has not seen for decades meant that the mayor’s priority must be to protect Londoners – on public services in London, creating new jobs, making the streets safer, holding down fares, and building more affordable housing.

Ken Livingstone said:

“I want to be mayor for one overriding reason. If I am elected my focus will be to do everything I can to protect Londoners from the recession and the effects of the government’s policies.

“The global economic crisis, a fragile recovery that may go double-dip, and a government removing billions from the economy and planning cuts on a scale that Britain has not seen for decades, mean the mayor’s priority must be to protect Londoners.

“I will use every lever to make sure our quality of life is protected and improved. Not a mayor who spends his time defending bankers and instead one who will use Mayoral budgets and powers to protect ordinary Londoners.”

Mr Livingstone said that top of this list was fares. A single bus fare alone has risen by one third since Boris Johnson was elected.

Ken Livingstone said:

“I would overhaul London’s budget priorities in favour of Londoners as a whole. Under Boris Johnson a single bus fare by Oyster has risen by a staggering one third, as has the price of a weekly bus pass.

“Instead of wasteful projects, the obsession with academy schools, the zany floating airport in the Thames Estuary, we must concentrate on defending public services and holding down fares.”

He also said he would show a sharp break with the current administration by giving a clearer focus to the job.

He promised the mayoralty would be his only job – unlike Boris Johnson who also works for the Daily Telegraph on a £250,000 salary – and gave a commitment to introduce a four year freeze on the mayor’s pay. He said he would institute a four-year pay freeze for all senior mayoral appointments at City Hall.

Mr Livingstone’s campaign was given strong backing by twenty leading London Labour party activists, showing support from across the political spectrum of the party.

In Croydon today Ken Livingstone showed his intent to use the campaign to build support for Labour in London by recruiting new members to the party. He kicked that off by recruiting Boriswatch.co.uk blogger Helen Gardner to Labour during his visit to Croydon.