. ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁London ▁Council ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 1 – 1 9 8 6 , ▁until ▁the ▁Council ▁was ▁abol ished ▁by ▁the ▁Th atch er ▁Government . ▁He ▁sought ▁nom ination ▁as ▁Labour ▁candidate ▁for ▁Mayor ▁of ▁London ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁selected . ▁He ▁stood ▁as ▁a ▁left - wing ▁independent ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁London ▁mayor al ▁election . ▁He ▁was ▁subsequently ▁allowed ▁to ▁re join ▁Labour , ▁and ▁successfully ▁cont ested ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁election . ▁Living stone ▁was ▁defeated ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁( and ▁ 2 0 1 2 ) ▁by ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Bor is ▁Johnson . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁The ▁mem oir ▁was ▁pra ised ▁by ▁Se um as ▁Mil ne ▁in ▁The ▁Guardian . ▁Mil ne ▁wrote ▁that ▁Living stone ' s ▁left - wing ▁politics ▁had ▁been ▁v ind ic ated . ▁John ▁K ampf ner ▁in ▁The ▁Ob server ▁was ▁also ▁positive ▁and ▁saw ▁the ▁book ▁as ▁being ▁" hon est , ▁nu anced ▁and ▁pic ares que ." ▁However , ▁Andrew ▁Gill igan , ▁a ▁long - time ▁critic ▁of ▁Living stone ▁and ▁an ▁ad visor ▁to ▁Bor is ▁Johnson , ▁in ▁the ▁Daily ▁Te legraph ▁was ▁strongly ▁critical ▁and ▁r ated ▁the ▁book ▁as ▁ 1 ▁out ▁of ▁ 5 ▁stars . ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁also ▁review ed ▁by ▁Son ia ▁P urn ell ▁in ▁The