Labour’s Sadiq Khan has swept to victory in the London mayoral election, winning a historic third term in power, as Sir Keir Starmer’s party continues to count gains in the local elections.
Incumbent mayor Mr Khan beat his nearest rival, Conservative candidate Susan Hall, in a contest dominated by criticisms of his decision to expand London’s ultra low emission zone.
Sir Keir had signalled he was confident of Mr Khan’s victory before declarations commenced, as he counted mayoral victories for his party in Liverpool, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and in Greater Manchester where Andy Burnham returned to power.
In a fresh challenge to the Prime Minister to call an election, Sir Keir said: “Fourteen years and, I am sorry, I don’t care which political party you support, if you leave your country in a worse state than when you found it 14 years later, you do not deserve to be in government for a moment longer.”
Mr Khan needed to win a simple majority of ballots cast, as the rules for the mayoral race were changed to a first-past-the-post voting system ahead of the latest election.
Rishi Sunak is meanwhile braced for the West Midlands mayoral election result, hoping incumbent Andy Street could hold on to power for the Conservatives.
