Boris Johnson wins as London Mayor

Boris Johnson has won the London Mayoral elections. Results have been slow in coming and it was just before midnight before the final numbers were released. But even early on it was clear that Ken Livingstone would be seeking employment elsewhere. After half the votes had been counted Boris Johnson was already leading by 6% over Ken Livingstone’s 40%.
Nick Robinson, BBC’s political correspondent, said it was “extraordinary in its own right” that a man that once hosted the satirical quiz show Have I Got News For You had won. It is the second major defeat for the Labour party who had lost dozens of seats in the local elections. Those results were the worst since the 1970s and besides upbeat comments by several Labour politicians many commentators were unanimous in their belief that it was looking like the beginning of the end for the Labour government.

In the first preference votes, Boris Johnson took 1,043,761 893 amounting to 43% against Ken Livingstone’s 893,877 or 37%. Brian Paddick only took 236,685 votes amounting to 10%. The second preference votes were crucial however to push Boris Johnson above the required 50%. Of the second preference votes Boris Johnson took 124,977 votes totalling 1,168,738. Ken Livingstone took a greater number of second preference votes standing at 135,089. But he still fell short with 1,028,966 votes.

“Thankyou very much,” he said “this has been a marathon election”. He also went onto thank Brian Paddick and hinted at further discussions about policing. He paid tribute to the outgoing mayor who he said had “shaped London” and looked forward to putting aside party differences and making London a better place.

In something reminiscent of Margaret Thatcher’s acceptance speech outside No 10 in 1979 he finished by saying, “Where there have been mistakes we will rectify them, where there are achievement we will build on the, where there is neglected opportunities we will seize on them and we will focus on the priorities of the people of London; cutting crime, improving transport, protecting green space, delivering affordable housing and giving taxpayers value for money in every one of the thirty two boroughs” [BBC / Sky News].