Tony Blair will today support moves to allow Ken Livingstone to return to the Labour Party.

Although the prime minister is reported to have been surprised by the scale of opposition to the mayor's re-admission, Ian McCartney, the party chairman, and most London Labour MPs support him returning to the Labour fold.

Blair is expected to endorse a compromise plan for a three-strong panel to consider Livingstone's re-admission.

This would report to Labour's London board, which last night overwhelmingly endorsed a proposal that the mayor should be asked to rejoin the Labour Party.