He started the election widely viewed as a clown with no chance of winning but almost 2 days after voting begun in the third Greater London Authority elections Boris Johnson was confirmed as the new Mayor of London.
Throughout the election several polls predicted a comfortable double digit margin of victory for Mr Johnson but in the end he secured a total of 1,168,738 votes against Ken Livingstone’s 1,028,966.
LibDem candidate Brian Paddick limped into third place with just 236,685 – almost 50,000 less than Simon Hughes scored for the party in 2004.
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The results for the other seven Mayoral candidates were Siân Berry (Green Party) 77,374 votes, Richard Barnbrook (British National Party) 69,710 votes, Alan Craig (Christian Peoples Alliance and Christian Party) 39,249 votes, Gerard Batten (UK Independence Party) 22,422 votes, Lindsey German (Left List) 16,796 votes, Matt O’Connor (English Democrats) 10,695 and Winston McKenzie (Independent) 5,389 votes.
In his acceptance speech a measured Mr Johnson thanked his family and campaign team as well as those Londoners who voted for him.
He also sought to reach out to those who didn’t support him and paid warm tribute to his defeated rival who vowed to help the new Mayor.
After the declaration Johnson and Livingstone held a private meeting in a side room – see picture above.
franklin says
May 3, 2008 at 2:24 pmI,m glad livingstone is out. He was the nickolae caucascu of london and he used the office for his own self-aggrandisement.He used public money for left wing and minority interests. He should be investigated and prosecuted
cllr m.t.j brace says
May 3, 2008 at 11:42 amCongratulations Boris on winning the Mayoral election.I do hope you do very well.On transport,police and crime you wont have to be a rocket scientist to sort these problems out. Once again well done.
M. Moore says
May 3, 2008 at 7:06 pmCongratulations Boris !
You must be feeling wonderful to have beaten Mr.Livingstone who has never lost an election in over 25years and even more so that it is a Conservative who achieved it!
I wish you all the very best in your new role.
ed says
May 3, 2008 at 9:35 pmsorry franklin but since when has spending money on left wing interests been worthy of prosecution?
gladto have moved to scotland says
May 4, 2008 at 11:27 amWhat a shame for London. The problems with Ken (like the problems with Clinton) are nothing compared to the problems Boris (like Bush) will effortlessly create. This is the end of New Labour (New Tories), the question is whether the progressive left can find a way of uniting its green strand (seeking to ensure wee still have a planet) and its red strand (trying to stop big business stealing and destroying our lives so that there is an alternative to posturing personalities (Boris or Blair – Brown doesn’t even have that) that is not the BNP.
Rizzo Franzi says
May 4, 2008 at 1:11 pmIt’s a dark day for London now that they had elected a right wing racist as mayor. So sorry to see Ken go.
Mike says
May 4, 2008 at 2:50 pmWhy do certain people vote Labour in araes like Haringey when Labour are Rubbish!
Matthew says
May 4, 2008 at 7:34 pmMike, when the alternative is conservative what choice do people have other than Labour?
The real question is why did people vote for Boris Johnson? He has shown himself to be racist and homophobic yet is now in charge of the most culturally diverse city in the world. It just doesn’t quite add up.
Veronica Bruce-Williams says
May 4, 2008 at 3:23 pmMany Congratulations to James Cleverly on his magnificent win for Bexley & Bromley and,on being selected as a GLA Member. Real boost for our Party. I wish you well and sure you would rise to the challenges ahead. I knew from the chat we had and your Opening Speech when Boris launched his Mayoral Campaign at County Hall, that you meant business and would go far.
With all good wishes
Philippa says
May 4, 2008 at 7:50 pmSo glad to say farewell Ken, but just who was it voted for Boris
Joe says
May 7, 2008 at 8:18 pmHe is not a racist blah blah, your all being pre-judgemental, we don’t even know what he is going to be like! Oh and I happened to know a little more about Ken than most and all I’m saying is he was all glamorous as people like to think. The fact is Boris will have to do well because of pressure from David Cameron, its more likely that he does a good job and regardless of his own views of gays etc, lol, they’re not coming up in his policy which is all that matters, so stop your idiotic comments which are worthless!