The controversial newly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets has thanked former London mayor Ken Livingstone for his support and denied allegations that he has links with Islamic extremists.

Lutfur Rahman fought the election as an independent candidate after he was deselected by Labour amid claims of irregularities in the nomination process and suggestions that he has connections to the Islamic Forum of Europe, which operates out of the East London Mosque.

Ken Livingstone is facing criticism and calls for his expulsion from the Labour Party after he appeared to be campaigning against the party’s candidate in Tower Hamlets.

Former MP Oona King has pledged her support for Ken Livingstone in his fight to win back the London mayoralty after he soundly beat her for the Labour candidacy to take on Boris Johnson.

Mr Livingstone, whose two previous terms as mayor saw him open a rift with the Jewish community, will challenge the Tory incumbent in 2012.

Ms King lost her Bethnal Green and Bow parliamentary seat to George Galloway, following an acrimonious campaign in 2005.

Since then she had worked as a Downing Street adviser to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Former MP Oona King has backed Ken Livingstone to regain the London mayoralty after he beat her for the Labour candidacy to take on Boris Johnson.

Mr Livingstone, whose two previous terms as mayor saw him open a rift with the Jewish community, will take on the current Tory incumbent in 2012.

Ms King polled 31 per cent of the vote on her return to the political spotlight. She lost her Bethnal Green and Bow parliamentary seat to George Galloway following an acrimonious campaign in 2005.

"We may disagree with him about suicide bombers in Israel.”

Dear Ken:

I was shocked to see that you had called me “a bit of an Islamophobe” on the Iranian state TV channel Press TV in an interview with Andrew Gilligan. There is no evidence for your claim, which is highly defamatory, deeply upsetting and potentially dangerous.

Former MP Oona King is expected to announce this week that she will challenge Ken Livingstone to become Labour’s candidate for Mayor of London.

If selected she would be taking on current Conservative Mayor, Boris Johnson, at the election in May 2012.

The contest will take place during Labour’s conference in September, the same week the Miliband brothers will be battling it out for the party leadership.

King, who has a Jewish mother, lost her Bethnal Green and Bow seat in the 2005 general election to Respect’s George Galloway by just 823 votes.