The mayor, known as Red Ken for his left-leaning ways, invoked the "warmth and sympathy" Britons feel for an old ally against Hitler.

FORBES: Welcome to Londongrad

As the head of the Greater London Council (GLC) in the 1980s, Livingstone earned the moniker "Red Ken" for standing up to Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on a number of issues.

CNN: Johnson wins second term as London's mayor

The reasons for this may be many but the issue of whether the early front runner 'Red' Ken Livingstone may be allowed to stand lies at the heart of the matter.

BBC: Labour at mid-term

"We're in the season, but it's like we're still in the preseason, " said Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, a former goalie.

WSJ: Goalies hurt most by lack of preseason games

It is true that Ken is no longer as red as he was in the 1980s. (Who is?) Some of his new ideas for London, such as a proposal to issue bonds to finance investment in the Tube, are perfectly sensible.

ECONOMIST: The trouble with Ken