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7 Labour London Mayoral Contenders Who Could Follow Boris Johnson

Which Labour Politicians Want BoJo's Job? 7 Runners And Riders
Asa Bennett
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LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 02: Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, prepares to be interviewed in Leicester Square following his regular 'Ask Boris' phone-in show on LBC talk radio on September 2, 2014 in London, England. Plans for a major new airport to be constructed on an island in the Thames estuary, which have been championed by Mr Johnson and dubbed 'Boris Island', have rejected in a report by the Airports Commission. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Oli Scarff via Getty Images

Labour politicians have been angling to be the party's candidate for London Mayor now Boris Johnson is nearing the end of his term and is hoping to move to Parliament.

Tottenham MP David Lammy has ended mounting speculation by declaring that he is running to be Labour's London Mayoral candidate, pledging to be a Mayor who "extends opportunity to all Londoners". This makes him the second Labour figure to declare his intentions after transport expert Christian Wolmar.

With other Labour figures expected to throw their hats into the ring, HuffPostUK runs through seven contenders who could compete to be Labour's candidate, and their strengths and weaknesses.

Labour's London Mayoral Candidate Runners & Riders
David Lammy (01 of07)
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Pros: Lammy is young, at 42-years old, and as MP for Tottenham, is well-rated for how he reacted to the riots that broke out in his constituency in 2011.Cons: Lammy is gaffe-prone: he had to apologise for claiming the BBC made a "silly innuendo" about the race of the Pope, and did stunningly bad at general knowledge on Mastermind.
Tessa Jowell (02 of07)
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Pros: Jowell is credited with bringing the 2012 Olympics to London as culture secretary. Cons: Her undying loyalty to Tony Blair, who she is quoted saying she would "jump under a bus for", means she will have his legacy hanging over her.
Andrew Adonis (03 of07)
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Pros: Brainbox former Labour minister Lord Adonis could have some top plans for London.Cons: Is the man who chronicled his "London by Bus" odyssey charismatic enough to woo voters?
Margaret Hodge(04 of07)
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Pros: Hodge channeled public anger masterfully at the helm of the Commons Public Accounts Committee as she took big companies to task over their tax affairs, like Starbucks and Amazon. She also saw off the BNP's Nick Griffin in her Barking constituency. Cons: She had an unremarkable ministerial career and has been dogged by allegations that she ignored child abuse claims in Islington when she was council leader.
Sadiq Khan(05 of07)
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Pros: Shadow London minister Sadiq Khan helped mastermind Labour's local election victory this year in the capital. Cons: Khan, who managed Ed Miliband's leadership campaign, may be too much of an "establishment" candidate. Also, will the shadow justice secretary leave the cabinet to run for Mayor if Labour win the next election?
Diane Abbott (06 of07)
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Pros: Left-wing Labour MP Diane Abbott is the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons and knows how to make a good speech.Cons: Is she too much of a left-winger for the Boris-voting parts of London? (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)
Christian Wolmar (07 of07)
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Pros: First person to declare his interest in being Labour's London mayoral candidate, Wolmar is a knowledgable transport expert. Cons: Most Londoners have never heard of him. (credit:KevinStandlee/Flickr)
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