KEN LIVINGSTONE has dismissed allegations of anti-Semitism, renewing his attack on two businessmen who he claims were undermining plans for the 2012 Olympic City.

On Tuesday the Mayor of London said that the developers David and Simon Reuben should “go back to Iran” — even though they are Indian-born of Iraqi-Jewish parents.

Yesterday he said that the brothers could cost the public up to £700 million because they were the “main impediment” to progress with the Olympic City in Stratford. Mr Livingstone accuses the Reubens of destabilising the consortium responsible for the project.

“There is a real risk to the taxpayer,” he said during Mayor’s Question Time. “Whether it is the London taxpayer or national taxpayer having to pick up the bill of £600 million to £700 million because of the actions of the Reuben brothers — the public should know there is a risk.” He said that deadlines for planning applications were being missed, adding: “They [the Reubens] do not have a track record of successfully undertaking major developments, or of working in partnership.”

A spokesman for the Reubens said: “The mayor appears to be deliberately misinformed about the role of the Reuben brothers in the consortium. They have worked ceaselessly to try to move the project forward for the benefit of London and the Olympic project.

“If the mayor cares to have discussions with either David or Simon Reuben, then we are confident that he would arrive at a more balanced view.”

On Tuesday Mr Livingstone said that the Reubens should “go back to Iran and try their luck with the ayatollahs” if they did not like his policies.

Yesterday Mr Livingstone declined to apologise to the Reubens and instead flippantly said: “I would offer a complete apology to the people of Iran to the suggestion that they may be linked in any way to the Reuben brothers. I wasn’t meaning to be offensive to the people of Iran.” He said he had not been aware the brothers were Jewish and from their names would have thought they were Muslims.

The mayor is already fighting a suspension for bringing his office into disrepute after comparing a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard.

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