Comedian Eddie Izzard has said he is prepared to take the flak for wanting to pursue a career in politics.

The 51-year-old is seeking the Labour nomination for Mayor of London in 2019 and if he does not get the endorsement he hopes to stand as an MP.

He told the Radio Times: "People say, 'Well, you're a bit woolly' and 'You're really not informed'; 'You're not this' and 'You're not that'.

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"But I realise those attacks are going to happen and you have to push through to get to a better place."

Izzard, who previously campaigned for Ken Livingstone to be mayor, criticised current London Mayor Boris Johnson, saying: "Boris is really all about Boris."

The funnyman added: "You know, the whole Boris bike thing is crazy. It was Ken's idea, he saw cycles for hire in France and wanted to set it up, but no-one seems to mention that. It's 'Ken cycles' not "Boris bikes'."

Izzard, who completed 43 marathons in 51 days to raise money for Sport Relief in 2009, said : "I hated the 80s and I hated the politics and I really didn't like her (Baroness Thatcher).

"I'm all for get-up-and-go and she did have energy, but throwing people on the scrapheap of life is what she did, and she seemed to revel in it as well.

"People have to have a heart. She was endlessly good friends with Pinochet, who we know was a murderer and a torturer. And she said Nelson Mandela was part of a terrorist organisation and that if the ANC think they're going to be running the country, they are in cloud-cuckoo-land. That sums up Margaret Thatcher for me."

Next year, Izzard will go back to South Africa to complete his latest running challenge, a tribute to Mandela, after the star had to pull out last year because of health complications.

Izzard attempted 27 marathons in 27 days to mark the 27 years Mandela spent in prison but had to pull out after the fourth event.

"I'm not stopping until at some point I do achieve 27 marathons in 27 days. I know I can do it," he said.

PA