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Boris is king of the capital
Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London.
The result was announced at City Hall just before midnight when the 43-year-old MP for Henley and former editor of The Spectator magazine was declared London Mayor.
Turnout for the election was about 45 per cent - up from 36.95 per cent in 2004.
The Conservative candidate won 140,000 more votes than his rival Ken Livingstone.
Mr Johnson secured 1,168,738 votes in total. Livingstone won 1,028,966 votes to finish second.
Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick finished a distant third with 236,685 votes.
Mr Johnson said: "I do not think for one second that this result means that London is transformed into a Tory city, but I will work flat out to repay the trust invested in me by voters who's pen wavered for a second before they crossed the box next to my name."
Outgoing mayor Ken Livingstone accepted responsibility for his defeat.
He said: "I'm sorry I couldn't get the extra few percentage points to take us to victory. I want to thank Londoners' for allowing me to serve me as mayor. I will help the new administration in any way I can."
For his part, Mr Johnson praised his predecessor as a "considerable public servant" and also his handling of the terrorist attacks of July 2005.
Mr Johnson has pledged to cut crime, tackle anti social behaviour on buses, and reform the capital's public transport system.
He is also committed to reforming City Hall, with plans to cut the number of press officers on the public payroll.
10:36am Saturday 3rd May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Donald, Finchley on 2:09pm Sat 3 May 08
Poor old Ken, evicted from City Hall like the pigeons he evicted from Trafalgar Square - not a nice feeling is it Ken?
Poor old Ken, evicted from City Hall like the pigeons he evicted from Trafalgar Square - not a nice feeling is it Ken?
Posted by: Reality, Bites on 8:35pm Sat 3 May 08
I wouldn't trust Boris to see me across the street: which genius decided to give him a major city and £10billion ???!
Lets just hope he can help drive out the disgusting BNP!
Whoever thinks that slogans like 'rights for whites' are acceptable should be shown straight to the nearest Doctor.
I wouldn't trust Boris to see me across the street: which genius decided to give him a major city and £10billion ???!
Lets just hope he can help drive out the disgusting BNP!
Whoever thinks that slogans like 'rights for whites' are acceptable should be shown straight to the nearest Doctor.
Posted by: Lord, of the flies on 10:20pm Sat 3 May 08
On the plus side, now that we've got Boris the Buffoon, he might just complete the A406 north circular.
.
On the plus side, now that we've got Boris the Buffoon, he might just complete the A406 north circular.
.
Posted by: Petru Clej, Whetstone on 5:20pm Sun 4 May 08
The result of the vote in London shows the Labour Party can fool all of the middle classes some tine, it can fool a minority of the middle classes all of the time, but it can't fool all of the middle classes all of the time.
The result of the vote in London shows the Labour Party can fool all of the middle classes some tine, it can fool a minority of the middle classes all of the time, but it can't fool all of the middle classes all of the time.
Posted by: Bob, London on 12:47pm Tue 6 May 08
I think what it really shows is that the well off middle class majority don't actually give a toss about London.
Why else would they elect a complete clown (who, by the way, still hasn't told us what he's ACTUALLY going to do)?
I think what it really shows is that the well off middle class majority don't actually give a toss about London.
Why else would they elect a complete clown (who, by the way, still hasn't told us what he's ACTUALLY going to do)?
Posted by: Rog T, Mill Hill on 7:45pm Tue 6 May 08
Hi Petru, nice to see you've reemerged. Surely the same could be said of the Tories which is why they lost the last 3 general elections.
I'd have thought that a journalist such as yourself could have given a little more insightful commentary.
I'd say that Ken losing by a relatively slim margin is as much down to the 10p tax band and the working class being fed up as anything.
Surely you know how many Londoners were hurt by the change. They are not the middle classes. This is born out by the lower turnout in the Labour heartlands.
By the way Ken did 12% better than Labour did nationally and he was one of the few Labour politicians to get an increased number of voters than last time.
The only difference was that all of the Tories who were too lazy to come out at the last couple of Mayoral elections got off their backsides because they thought they had a chance and lots of Labour voters sat on their backsides because they are fed up with having a party who they rely on upping their tax bill.
Hi Petru, nice to see you've reemerged. Surely the same could be said of the Tories which is why they lost the last 3 general elections.
I'd have thought that a journalist such as yourself could have given a little more insightful commentary.
I'd say that Ken losing by a relatively slim margin is as much down to the 10p tax band and the working class being fed up as anything.
Surely you know how many Londoners were hurt by the change. They are not the middle classes. This is born out by the lower turnout in the Labour heartlands.
By the way Ken did 12% better than Labour did nationally and he was one of the few Labour politicians to get an increased number of voters than last time.
The only difference was that all of the Tories who were too lazy to come out at the last couple of Mayoral elections got off their backsides because they thought they had a chance and lots of Labour voters sat on their backsides because they are fed up with having a party who they rely on upping their tax bill.
Posted by: Petru Clej, Whetsone on 11:11am Sun 11 May 08
Putting spin on Ken's defeat shows not only lack of fair-play but also an amazing lack of understanding of politics.
The "doughnut" result shows that Boris Johnson and the Conservatives polled their best results in the suburbs, which are the place where the middle classes live.
On the contrary, Ken Livingstone and Labour polled their best results in the poorest parts of London, especially in the inner city (except Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea).
The middle classes (or anyway a majority of them) have woken up.
Putting spin on Ken's defeat shows not only lack of fair-play but also an amazing lack of understanding of politics.
The "doughnut" result shows that Boris Johnson and the Conservatives polled their best results in the suburbs, which are the place where the middle classes live.
On the contrary, Ken Livingstone and Labour polled their best results in the poorest parts of London, especially in the inner city (except Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea).
The middle classes (or anyway a majority of them) have woken up.
Posted by: Rog T, Mill Hill on 12:14pm Sun 11 May 08
Petru, I'm sure you are aware that the turnout was far higher in the doughnut wards. Boris won fair & square, good luck to him.
Why is it OK for you to put a spin on the BoJo result whilst it "lacks fair play" to point out a few facts about the results for Labour. It isn't unfair to point out that Ken got more votes this time than both times he won. It is a fact. It didn't help him in the final analysis, but there are wider lessons for Labour supporters to learn from what happened in London. This may be of no interest to you, but not everyone has your perspective.
I agree with you that the main difference this time is that Tory Middle class voters got off their Lazy butts & voted.
Petru, why is it that everyone who disagrees with you "lacks understanding". Maybe you should realise they just have a different opinion.
Petru, I'm sure you are aware that the turnout was far higher in the doughnut wards. Boris won fair & square, good luck to him.
Why is it OK for you to put a spin on the BoJo result whilst it "lacks fair play" to point out a few facts about the results for Labour. It isn't unfair to point out that Ken got more votes this time than both times he won. It is a fact. It didn't help him in the final analysis, but there are wider lessons for Labour supporters to learn from what happened in London. This may be of no interest to you, but not everyone has your perspective.
I agree with you that the main difference this time is that Tory Middle class voters got off their Lazy butts & voted.
Petru, why is it that everyone who disagrees with you "lacks understanding". Maybe you should realise they just have a different opinion.
Posted by: Petru Clej, Whetstone on 3:39pm Sat 17 May 08
The previous posting shows what blind partisanship (and resentment, combined with a total lack of fair play) can do to your judgement.
The boot given to this nasty individual called Ken Livingstone is but a taste of things to come at a national level.
Because it is blindingly obvious that between Labour 2008 and Conservatives 1995 there is not much too chose.
That is if you are not one of the few middle class voters permanently fooled by Labour.
The previous posting shows what blind partisanship (and resentment, combined with a total lack of fair play) can do to your judgement.
The boot given to this nasty individual called Ken Livingstone is but a taste of things to come at a national level.
Because it is blindingly obvious that between Labour 2008 and Conservatives 1995 there is not much too chose.
That is if you are not one of the few middle class voters permanently fooled by Labour.
Posted by: Rog T, Mill Hill on 5:22pm Sat 17 May 08
Petru,
Ken lost, life goes on. I happened to think he was the better choice, but in a democracy you sometimes get the wrong result, from your own perspective.
I think there is a world of difference between Labour 2008 and Conservatives 1995. Labour are not diveded in the way the Tories were over Europe. We haven't had the economic meltdown we had on Black Monday. Labour have not had a recession on their watch.
They have problems and David Cameron is doing well at the moment, but things can change quickly in Politics. Just remember that this time last year everyone was saying Cameron was incompetant following his debacle over schools policy.
When you call me blindly partisan, have you ever considered your own position? You are not exactly unbiased yourself are you?
Here's a totally unfair, biased comment for you. What percentage of the British Middle Class do you think is more impoverished now than when Labour came in?
Labour has made huge progress at both local and national level.
My kids school in Mill Hill has been completely rebuilt, look at Edgware Community hospital, the Thameslink project which has begun, consistant increases in GDP.
What Party do you think has delivered higher growth in it's periods of rule since 1945? The stats are all there.
Are you aware how many children have been lifted out of poverty under Labour? Are you aware of the progress on reducing NHS waiting lists?
You hate Labour for ideological reasons, I support them for practical ones, they do a better job for Great Britain than the Tories ever have. In my experience Tory rule gives us periods of boom and bust. I run a business so I need economic stability, Labour delivers this. I have run my business since 1979. I live in the real economy, I haven't had a comfy job paid for by the taxpayer, like you did for 17 years.
Now here's a fair question for you.
I have explained my preference. Tell me why do you think the Tories are better and hy you have concluded this? Please spare us ideological waffle in the answer.
Petru,
Ken lost, life goes on. I happened to think he was the better choice, but in a democracy you sometimes get the wrong result, from your own perspective.
I think there is a world of difference between Labour 2008 and Conservatives 1995. Labour are not diveded in the way the Tories were over Europe. We haven't had the economic meltdown we had on Black Monday. Labour have not had a recession on their watch.
They have problems and David Cameron is doing well at the moment, but things can change quickly in Politics. Just remember that this time last year everyone was saying Cameron was incompetant following his debacle over schools policy.
When you call me blindly partisan, have you ever considered your own position? You are not exactly unbiased yourself are you?
Here's a totally unfair, biased comment for you. What percentage of the British Middle Class do you think is more impoverished now than when Labour came in?
Labour has made huge progress at both local and national level.
My kids school in Mill Hill has been completely rebuilt, look at Edgware Community hospital, the Thameslink project which has begun, consistant increases in GDP.
What Party do you think has delivered higher growth in it's periods of rule since 1945? The stats are all there.
Are you aware how many children have been lifted out of poverty under Labour? Are you aware of the progress on reducing NHS waiting lists?
You hate Labour for ideological reasons, I support them for practical ones, they do a better job for Great Britain than the Tories ever have. In my experience Tory rule gives us periods of boom and bust. I run a business so I need economic stability, Labour delivers this. I have run my business since 1979. I live in the real economy, I haven't had a comfy job paid for by the taxpayer, like you did for 17 years.
Now here's a fair question for you.
I have explained my preference. Tell me why do you think the Tories are better and hy you have concluded this? Please spare us ideological waffle in the answer.
Posted by: Petru Clej, London on 8:11pm Wed 21 May 08
The previous posting is one of a sore loser and a fanatical Labour supporter, who was posting on all forums hysterical messages in support of the despicable individual called Ken Livingstone.
I suggest you calm down, or you might have an attack of apoplexia.
I don't "hate" Labour, but I can imagine you in front of the screen, your eyes bulging.
There are less and less "useful idiots" like you among the middle classes, brain washed and feeling guilty for their comfortable existence.
The previous posting is one of a sore loser and a fanatical Labour supporter, who was posting on all forums hysterical messages in support of the despicable individual called Ken Livingstone.
I suggest you calm down, or you might have an attack of apoplexia.
I don't "hate" Labour, but I can imagine you in front of the screen, your eyes bulging.
There are less and less "useful idiots" like you among the middle classes, brain washed and feeling guilty for their comfortable existence.
Posted by: Petru Clej, London on 8:13pm Wed 21 May 08
And any arguments with a a man who denies that Ken Livingstone is a friend of radical islamists and insults Jewish journalists are to be avoided.
Cool down and stop picking fights with anyone who has a different opinion from yours.
And don't be a sore loser.
And any arguments with a a man who denies that Ken Livingstone is a friend of radical islamists and insults Jewish journalists are to be avoided.
Cool down and stop picking fights with anyone who has a different opinion from yours.
And don't be a sore loser.
Posted by: Rog T, Mill Hill on 11:26am Fri 23 May 08
Petru, the image you see on your screen, eye's bulging, is called a reflection of yourself. As are most of your comments. They say the faults that we most despise in others are our own weaknesses. Maybe the reason you get so irate about my postings is because you see yourself in them.
Petru, the image you see on your screen, eye's bulging, is called a reflection of yourself. As are most of your comments. They say the faults that we most despise in others are our own weaknesses. Maybe the reason you get so irate about my postings is because you see yourself in them.
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