Ken's partner axed as Boris Johnson purges City Hall 'wimmin'

Ken Livingstone's partner Emma Beal, who was employed by the ex-Mayor as his "administration manager", was the most high profile of those whose posts were axed.

But in a drive against political correctness, Mr Johnson also decided to scrap the post of "women's adviser", held by Labour activist Anni Marjoram.

Others whose jobs were deleted were Mr Livingstone's Left-wing cultural and events adviser, Jude Woodward, his planning chief Eleanor Young and his "senior policy adviser on the creative industries" Emma St Giles.

The Greater London Authority's Business, Management Appointments Committee decided to lose the five women at its meeting today, the Standard has learned.

Technically, the committee was acting on the recommendation of City Hall's chief executive Anthony Mayer but it is understood that Mayor Johnson was the main driver behind the move.

Insiders say the atmosphere at City Hall has been "transformed" since Mr Johnson took office.

Staff previously had to follow a strict system of referring even minor matters to their senior officers, often with the deputy chief of staff required to rubber stamp decisions, it is claimed.

Tories had dubbed the coterie of senior women around Mr Livingstone "Ken's wimmin", a reference to the fact that many of them were Labour supporters and seen as having formed close personal relationships with the former Mayor.

The total salary cost of the five women is believed to top £400,000.

Mr Livingstone's partner Ms Beal, 42, who is mother of two of his children, will have her duties subdivided and shared among other staff now working at City Hall.

Her role was also notable as there have been claims that she was paid £96,000 even though Mr Livingstone also employed his long-standing secretary.

Ms Marjoram, 58, was long viewed suspiciously by Conservatives because she stood as a Labour candidate for Parliament in Finchley. One insider said Mr Johnson felt that the post of "women's adviser" was a "throwback to the Eighties GLC".

Ms Young was Mr Livingstone's "senior policy adviser for planning" and her duties will be largely taken over by Boris's planning adviser Sir Simon Milton.

Ms Woodward is the most contentious of the five as she is a member of Socialist Action, the secretive far-Left group seen as having run City Hall for the past eight years.

Other key members of Socialist Action were said to include Redmond O'Neill, the ex-Mayor's deputy chief of staff, and John Ross, his economics adviser.

Ms St Giles, 40, who used to work in PR, is also seen as particularly close to Mr Livingstone because she helped run his campaign in 2000.

Mr Johnson came under fire this week for dumping the anti-racist message of the annual Rise festival.

Cultural adviser Munira Mirza said the move was part of a drive to drop the political correctness of Mr Livingstone's regime.