I'll slash fares this year or quit City Hall, pledges Ken Livingstone

The Labour candidate today said he wanted to persuade voters that he would cut fares by seven per cent by committing to leaving his post if his plans are not carried out.

His pledge comes as documents claimed that Mr Livingstone's election campaign was left in "turmoil" following a complaint by a member of staff that she was a victim of "bullying, abuse and intimidation".

Sukie Sohal, who is in charge of fund-raising for Mr Livingstone, is threatening to sue the Labour Party and campaign director Patrick Heneghan over claims she was "demeaned and humiliated" and used as a token Asian to impress Indian donors.

Mr Livingstone has said he will wipe out Boris Johnson's six per cent fare increases if elected on May 3. But a Standard poll last week revealed that 39 per cent of voters do not believe he will be able to carry out his pledge.

Mr Johnson has called his rival's fares promise "a lie" and said that it would take more than £1 billion out of TfL.

Mr Livingstone said today: "Fares will be cut and today I'm setting the date for London's liberation from the high fares of the current mayor. If I am elected in a few short months there will be real change for the better."

He added: "My commitment to carrying out this cut is such that I give my word that if I do not cut the fares on or by October 7 I will resign the office of Mayor immediately and cause a by-election."

A spokesman for Mr Johnson's campaign said: "He has twice before made promises on fares and twice broken them."

The Standard understands that Ms Sohal made the complaint after a separate disciplinary investigation was launched against her.

In Ms Sohal's statement she writes about being made to be the "pretty face to walk around and display auctionable prizes" at fund-raising events.

She adds: "I believe that this request demeaned and humiliated me."

The documents also contain statements by two senior members of the Livingstone campaign, Rob Chapman and Phil Dilks. They state that the campaign was in "turmoil" over "growing tensions" between Labour's professional staff and "cronies" brought in unannounced by Mr Livingstone.

They write: "Despite our best efforts to integrate, there are clearly two camps, as the mayoral campaign develops most unlike a Labour Party campaign - with the candidate, rather than the party, appearing to drive the agenda."