In the final days of the London mayoral election, Ken Livingstone's previous support for direct action came back to haunt him. The Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative candidates condemned his comments on the back of the violence that accompanied the May Day demonstration, insisting his tacit support for direct action gave the protesters the excuse they needed to wreak havoc.
Such is Red Ken's lead in the opinion polls, however, even this latest attack on the former Labour man has failed to rock his campaign and he is almost certain to win the top job. His personal charisma has won him a great deal of support.
But he is also likely to benefit from Labour protest voters, unhappy with what they perceive as a Labour stitch-up in the selection of Frank Dobson as the official candidate.
Livingstone has pledged to maintain the London Underground in public ownership, raising funds for modernisation by a bond system.