LONDON - MADONNA, one of London's most famous ex-pat residents, will not vote for the current mayor at forthcoming elections because of his record on cutting traffic jams, according to comments released on Thursday.

'Will Ken Livingstone get my vote? No. The traffic in London is worse than ever now. All Red Ken wants is roadworks going on everywhere,' the US singer said in extracts released of an interview with British music magazine Q.

Livingstone - who earned the nickname 'Red Ken' in the 1980s because of his fervent socialist views and opposition to former prime minister Margaret Thatcher's free market reforms - is seeking a third straight term on May 1.

He introduced a controversial road charging scheme in 2003 to cut congestion in central London, later widening it to west London, the area in which Madonna lives with her British film director husband, Guy Ritchie.

In February this year, he also introduced a London-wide low emission zone, charging the most polluting lorries 200 pounds (S$554) a day to enter the capital to reduce air pollution.

The 49-year-old Madonna, who is often spotted cycling around London or being driven by chauffeur, also complained about the underground network - where high fares remain a bugbear - and offered the next mayor a suggestion.

'I would make it so that young musicians, aspiring musicians wouldn't have to pay the congestion charge or pay taxes. They would be exempt from those kind of things so they would have more money to do other things,' she said.

Madonna has previously criticised various aspects of British life since moving here, including lazy builders, officious parking wardens, high fuel prices, old-fashioned hospitals and the weather.

Environmentalists and the mayor's office hit back, arguing that the congestion charge had held cut traffic and carbon emissions.

It was not clear whether Madonna had endorsed any other candidate for the mayoral election. A total of 13 candidates, including Livingstone, have said they will stand. -- AFP