Sadiq Khan secures convincing win over Tory rival in London mayoral race
Labour's Sadiq Khan has secured a historic third term as London mayor, seeing off Tory challenger Susan Hall.
It followed "wild rumours" the incumbent could have suffered a shock defeat, although both sides subsequently said they believed Mr Khan would win.
It was the first time any candidate for London mayor has won a third term in office, with Mr Khan's predecessors Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone both having served two terms.
As he took to the stage to make his victory speech, the re-elected mayor was booed and heckled with a shout of "Khan killed London" by the far-right Britain First candidate, who received fewer votes than Count Binface.
Speaking at City Hall, Mr Khan said: "We faced a campaign of non-stop negativity, but I couldn't be more proud that we answered the fearmongering with facts, hate with hope, and attempts to divide with efforts to unite.
"We ran a campaign that was in keeping with the spirit and values of this great city, a city that regards our diversity not as a weakness, but as an almighty strength - and one that rejects right hard-wing populism and looks forward, not back."
He also thanked his family for their support, but apologised for them having to deal with "protests by our home" and "threats".
While congratulating Mr Khan on his victory, Ms Hall said he should stop "patronising" people who care about London.
When she had previously challenged him in a mayoral debate about "gangs running around with machetes" in the capital, he had said she should "stop watching The Wire" - a gritty US-based crime drama.
In her concession speech, she said: "The thing that matters the most, and to me, is reforming the Met and making London safe again. I hope Sadiq makes this his top priority.
"He owes it to the families of those thousands of people who have lost lives to knife crime under his mayoralty.
"And I hope too that he stops patronising people, like me, who care. This isn't an episode of The Wire, this is real life on his watch."
The pair had repeatedly clashed during the campaign, fought out amid concerns about knife crime and the handling of pro-Palestinian marches in the capital.
In his victory speech, the newly re-elected mayor says he had "faced a campaign of non-stop negativity", while his defeated Tory opponent told him to stop "patronising" people and that knife crime "isn't an episode of The Wire".
news.sky.com
