Labour's candidate for London mayor has conceded the party did not "engage" with voters in the Brent East by-election.

In an interview with ePolitix.com Nicky Gavron said the surprise loss of the seat to the Liberal Democrats should serve as a warning against complacency.

"Labour is really the party of community so clearly we've got to get back to our roots and get out and engage with people more," Gavron told this website.

"I think we had a good campaign but it's true that we didn't engage effectively enough."

Gavron, who served as Ken Livingstone's deputy mayor until this year, also claims London needs to find new ways of raising money to take the burden of council tax payers.

"London, the engine of the UK economy, is running with a ball and chain on its foot," she says.

"The only way it can raise money is through fares and we are trying to be redistributive. Putting up fares would have to be a last resort because our transport is very expensive as it is.

"Council tax puts us on a collision course with boroughs which is the last thing we need.

"There have to be other ways of raising money in London, or enabling London to capitalise on the fact that there is a willingness I think, in the business community, for us to find other ways of raising money."

And following their triumph in the previously safe Labour seat in Brent, Gavron singles out Lib Dem candidate Simon Hughes for particular criticism.

"Labour is looking at moving by the end of the second term to more like 35,000 police," she said."This would mean six officers per ward. It's a combination of sergeants, constables and police community support officers."I notice though that Simon Hughes - who should really be called the mayor of wonderland - has just pledged himself to eight officers per ward without any money to pay for it.

"I don't think the Lib Dems have got a clue about how you pay for any of their recent pledges."