IT IS set to be London's fiercest political contest in years, but one contender named in the press might not have a taste for the fray. Despite speculation during the past few days, it now appears that the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, has ruled herself out of the race to become London's new mayor.
Informed speculation this week put Dr Mowlam at the top of the pack as the preferred candidate of the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, for the position if no credible alternative emerges to challenge the popular figure of the Labour MP, Mr Ken Livingstone.
Dr Mowlam brushed aside the reports, insisting she was content to remain in her post as Northern Secretary: "I'm very happy and honoured to be doing the job I'm doing," she told reporters outside Downing Street on Thursday and denied she had discussed the post with Mr Blair.
Downing Street also denied that Mr Blair was planning to back Dr Mowlam as Labour's candidate for mayor. "It is not his view. She is Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and is doing a very good job in what is a critical time in the peace process," a spokesman said.
Despite Dr Mowlam's denials, the Labour leadership is determined to thwart Mr Livingstone's aspirations. He has railed against party policy in the past and cultivated a maverick reputation on the left wing of the party.
The leadership is clearly deeply uneasy at the prospect of the former Greater London Council leader winning the support of the 70,000 Labour members in London for his candidacy for mayor, despite declaring his willingness to work with Mr Blair in the future.
In recent weeks the hot favourite to stand against Mr Livingstone was the Health Secretary, Mr Frank Dobson, but he has all but ruled himself out of the running by declaring to the leadership that he would be unwilling to give up a job he loves.
Other possible candidates for the Labour shortlist include the Transport Minister, Ms Glenda Jackson, the TV journalist, Mr Trevor Phillips, who is expected to clarify his position this weekend, the Minister for London, Mr Nick Raynsford, and the Sports Minister, Mr Tony Banks, who is seen as another controversial but popular figure.
The Tory frontrunner, Lord Archer, has mounted a high-profile campaign for the post, but is not seen as a hugely popular choice by the party leadership.
PA adds: The singer and would-be Tory candidate, Patti Boulaye (44), waded into a race row yesterday after claiming the chief suspects in the killing of Stephen Lawrence were "either National Front or Labour" voters.
Ms Boulaye also claimed that the majority of Labour voters were prejudiced.
But the Conservative Party said they were standing by the black entertainer who earlier this month declared her desire to be a Tory candidate for the new London authority and who claimed today her words had been "distorted".