Khan gets the nod as Labour makes return

Congratulations pour in for Boris’s replacement

SADIQ Khan has won the vote to become the new Mayor of London, with voters opting for a return to Labour after eight years of Conservative leadership with Boris Johnson.

After a gruelling few weeks of campaigning as ‘a Mayor for all Londoners’, the hopeful candidate took the lead, leaving his Tooting constituency needing a byelection to replace him as its MP.

The candidate beat runner-up Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith.

Congratulations from far and wide poured in for Khan, including from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

New York’s Mayor Bill de Blasio has also congratulated the new mayor from across the pond.

In a tweet, he wrote: “Sending congratulations to London’s new Mayor and fellow affordable housing advocate, @SadiqKhan. Look forward to working together!”

Throughout the campaign, Khan had a clear lead in the polls, with the final poll showing him as odds on London’s favourite for mayor.

The triumph is a boost for the party, which lost seats across the country in local elections.

For west London, however, Brent and Harrow as well as Ealing and Hillingdon seats were retained by the Labour party.

As former head of communities in 2008, Khan was also head of transport as he progressed in his political career.

In 2013, he was appointed shadow minister of London, but resigned in May 2015 to fight for the mayoral spot.

Despite being tipped to become Labour candidate in the 2012 election, Khan continued as Tooting MP before applying to run as London mayoral candidate for 2016.