Boris Johnson elected Mayor of London

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

Conservative Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London.

Gay Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Paddick came third. Mr Paddick has seen the Lib Dem share of the vote slashed.

Ken Livingstone, the first Mayor of London, well-known for his support for gay rights, came second.

Mr Johnson beat Mr Livingstone by 1,168,738 (53.2%) to 1,028,966 (46.8%) after second-preference votes were counted.

Turnout was 45%, up from 37% in 2004. With a 14% rise in the Tory vote, it is clear many more people came out to vote this year in support of Boris Johnson’s candidacy.

In PinkNews.co.uk’s final Mayoral poll, Boris Johnson received 21.8% of the vote.

Mr Johnson will resign as the MP for Henley, one of the safest Conservative Parliamentary seats in the country, as soon as possible.

He thanked his team and called Mr Livingstone as a “very considerable public servant.” He implied that he wished to see Mr Livingstone playing some role in his administration.

He praised his Liberal Democrat rival Mr Paddick saying: “I want to congratulate you Brian on your great common sense and decency with which you put your case and I do hope that it is not the end of our discussions about the police.

On Ken Livingstone he said: “I think you have been a very considerable public servant and a distinguished leader of this city,” he said.

“You shaped the office of Mayor. You gave it national prominence and when London was attacked on 7 July 2005 you spoke for London.

“And when we have that drink together which we both so richly deserve, I hope we can discover a way in which the mayoralty can continue to benefit from your transparent love of London, a city whose energy conquered the world and which now brings the world together in one city.”

On a London of ethnic minorities and sexualities he said: “Conservatives have changed into a party that can again be trusted after 30 years with the greatest, most cosmopolitan, multi-racial generous hearted city on earth on which there are huge and growing divisions between rich and poor.”

Mr Livingstone said: “Well Boris, let me second your kind words about Anthony and his staff having to separate and count six million votes is a demanding task and also the police who have ensured this has been a peaceful and orderly count across the whole of London.”

He ended by saying: “I am sorry I couldn’t get an extra few points that would take us to victory and the fault for that is solely my own.

” You can’t be Mayor for eight years and then if you don’t at third term say it was somebody else’s fault. I accept that responsibility and I regret that I couldn’t take you to victory.”

The first preference votes were:-

Boris Johnson (Conservative) 1,043,761 (43.20%, +14.19% on party vote in 2004)

Ken Livingstone (Labour) 893,877 (37.00%, +0.33% on his vote in 2004)

Brian Paddick (Liberal Democrat) 236,685 (9.80%, -5.42% on party vote in 2004)

Sian Berry (Green Party) 77,374 (3.20%, +0.13% on party vote in 2004)

Richard Barnbrook (British National Party) 69,710 (2.89%, -0.23% on party vote in 2004)

Alan Craig (Christian Choice) 39,249 (1.62%, -0.61% on party vote in 2004)

Gerard Batten (UKIP) 22,422 (0.93%, -5.26% on party vote in 2004)

Lindsey German (Left List) 16,796 (0.70%, -2.92% on her 2004 vote share as the Respect candidate)

Matt O’Connor (English Democrats) 10,695 (0.44%)

Winston McKenzie (Ind) 5,389 (0.22%)

By constinuency the main candidate’s votes are as follows:-

Bexley and Bromley

Johnson – 60%
Livingstone – 20%
Paddick – 9%

 

Brent and Harrow

Livingstone – 42%
Johnson – 39%
Paddick – 9%

City and East

Livingstone – 51%
Johnson – 26%
Paddick – 7%

Enfield and Haringey

Livingstone – 41%
Johnson – 37%
Paddick – 10%

Greenwich and Lewisham

Livingstone – 42%
Johnson – 34%
Paddick – 10%

Havering and Redbridge

Johnson – 52%
Livingstone – 27%
Paddick – 7%

North East

Livingstone – 47%
Johnson – 29%
Paddick – 10%

South West

Johnson – 47%
Livingstone – 30%
Paddick -13%

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