19 April 2012updated 26 Sep 2015 7:31pm

Alan Sugar comes out against Ken

Labour peer declares that "Livingstone must NOT get in".

It’s easy to forget that Alan Sugar is a Labour peer (and a significant party donor) but he is and he’s just become the first Labour politician to come out against Ken Livingstone. On Twitter, Sugar wrote: “Livingstone must NOT get in on 3rd May”.

SKY doing live Mayoral interview with candidates at 8pm today Johnston v Livingstone is real issue. Livingstone must NOT get in on 3rd May

— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) April 19, 2012

After users pointed out that Livingstone was the official Labour candidate, Sugar posted an even more provocative tweet.

I don’t care if Ed Miliband is backing Livingstone . I seriously suggest NO ONE votes for Livingstone in the Mayoral elections

— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) April 19, 2012

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Given Sugar’s celebrity status Labour will be reluctant to discipline him but he has all but endorsed a rival candidate (“Johnston (sic) v Livingstone is real issue,” he wrote). Yet given that Ken openly campaigned for a non-Labour candidate in Tower Hamlets (independent Lutfur Rahman) he can hardly expect unquestioning loyalty from others.