List of official charges laid against Ken

Groups which have formally levelled accusations against the Mayor include:

Board of Deputies of British Jews: made an official complaint to the Standards Board for England, asking it to investigate his conduct on the grounds that he had failed to act in line with Section 2 of the Standards Board's code of conduct for holders of public office, under which they must "treat others with respect". It alleged the Mayor's comments were "entirely unwarranted and unjustified".
In its submission, the board said: "In making such comments, Mayor Livingstone demonstrated a gross insensitivity to, and a wilful disregard for, the feelings of appreciable numbers of those he is supposed to represent."

Commission for Racial Equality: It has referred the Mayor to the Standards Board for England to ask it to consider whether his comments contravene the Greater London Authority's obligations under the Race Relations Act.

National Union of Students: It has ruled that the NUS would "condemn the Mayor's actions and comments, and write to him outlining the reasons why; to include in the letter an explanation that the NUS will not welcome the Mayor to annual conference or any other NUS event until he has made a public apology to all those offended by his comments."

The accusations are now to be investigated by the Standards Board for England.

The first stage will be for its ethical standards officers to begin an inquiry. People asked to give evidence can be compelled to do so. Once the case has been gathered, the officer will reach a conclusion and tell the Mayor.

Given the seniority of the Mayor's position, it is almost certain the officer will ask that the case be considered by the Adjudications Panel for England, an independent body which hears misconduct charges.

It is a group of independent members who will decide whether to uphold or dismiss the case in what would effectively be a trial, with lawyers for the Standards Board and the Mayor making their case.

They have the power to ban Mr Livingstone from public office for up to five years. Their decision can be appealed to the High Court, where it would be argued in front of a judge, and could ultimately reach the House of Lords, the highest court in England.