Deposed mayor of London Ken Livingstone is keeping the red flag flying by taking up a job with firebrand Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Livingstone has been a long time ally of the radical left wing leader and now plans to advise city leaders in Caracas.

Pro government mayors only

However, it seems only pro government mayors will receive the benefits of Livingstone’s wisdom.

The Labour man was fulfilling the "promise" he made after striking the controversial cheap oil deal. He said he hoped to help the city transform in the next 20 years and was honored and proud. It's not known whether he will be paid for the work.

Move away from London arena

It marks a new departure for the former leader of London. This move away from London politics may have something to do comments by Trade Minister Gareth Thomas last week where he called on the Labour party to move on saying the former mayor ignored the suburbs and did not take knife crime seriously enough.

After his "bereavement" of losing the elections in May he vowed to haunt victor Boris Johnson and build up his power base for another crack at City Hall in time for the Olympics in 2012.

He attended official meetings and regularly held interviews undermining the Tory man. After a stint at LBC radio he flew off to the Olympic Games in China to lap up some of the graces he may have felt cheated out of.

Looking at other candidates

The MP for the marginal seat of Harrow West called on a "new generation" of candidates to take on Boris Johnson in 2012. Livingstone has dropped heavy hints that he intended to run again, despite the now public feelings from party insiders that Labour need to move on. He could run as an independent as he did in 2001 when the party failed to back him. Despite saying he wouldn't rejoin the party, he did so in 2004.

Livingstone's claims that Gordon Brown and the national dissatisfaction with Labour were to blame for his defeat were blown out of the water by the minister.

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