Mayor to face his rivals in US-style showdown on TV

Ken Livingstone will take on Tory candidate Boris Johnson and Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick on a late-night ITV show.

Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq will chair the first showdown of the campaign on current affairs show London Talking.

It will be filmed as "live" tomorrow in front of a studio audience using a Question Time-style format and will be broadcast on Thursday at 11pm.

Each candidate has been challenging their rivals to debate the key issues of the campaign face-to-face for weeks.

Mr Livingstone has said he would take on Mr Johnson whenever the Tory candidate was prepared to engage and has taunted him for his apparent reluctance to debate with him in public.

He said: "It's the first time I've been able to pin Boris Johnson down to one. I'm really looking forward to it and I'm sure Londoners are looking forward to it.

"I would have thought radio and broadcasters would have set aside two or three slots a week for the candidates to debate. It's very cheap TV and it gives Londoners a chance to ring in and ask questions." The Mayor claimed that he, Mr Paddick and Green candidate Sian Berry were likely to agree on "90 per cent" of issues while Mr Johnson would present the contrary view.

Of the Lib-Dem candidate, he said: "I like him. I think he wouldn't be a bad mayor at all. But he has got to look for points of difference with me." Mr Johnson's campaign team denied their candidate had been avoiding a debate and claimed it was in fact the Mayor who had proved difficult to pin down.

The Tory MP himself insisted he has always been up for a debate. "Bring it on, bring it on, you big girl's blouse, that's what I say," he said.

He taunted Mr Paddick for not being as high-profile as the other two main candidates, asking "who?" when asked if he would debate with the Lib-Dem, who is supported by Sir Elton John.

Mr Paddick said: "I think a three-way debate is absolutely fine and it doesn't hold any fears for me at all.

"If Boris Johnson doesn't think that I am a serious rival he's got a very, very nasty shock coming. I believe Londoners are hungry for a serious debate about the future of their city and will be explaining how I plan to cut waste and make people feel safer."

The candidates will be asked a series of questions by members of the 40-strong audience, which will be hand-picked by producers.

They are expected to cover transport, housing, crime and the Olympics as well as personality issues which have dominated the campaign so far.

Mr Livingstone is likely to be quizzed about the London Development Agency funding row involving senior aide Lee Jasper.

Mr Johnson could be challenged over claims he used racist language and suffered a slow start to his campaign.

Mr Paddick could be questioned on his autobiography, which will be published just weeks before the election in May.