Labour's candidate for next year's mayoral election will be: Sadiq Khan.
An election that feels like it's been going on for months (because it has) is finally over, with Khan winning 58.9% of the total votes after all other candidates other than himself and Tessa Jowell had been eliminated. Following the announcement at the Royal Festival Hall, Khan said
"I love this city... Like so many Londoners, I owe London everything. Looking to the future, our burning ambition must be to ensure that others have the same opportunities [I had]. It's this that will underpin our campaign to win back City Hall. London once again can become a city where everyone can fulfil their potential. Together, we can make this a reality."
Khan has come up the back straight to snaffle the nomination. Tessa Jowell had been the frontrunner from the off, but the so-called Corbyn surge is thought to have also benefited him (new sign-ups in London also got a vote for the mayoral candidate). However, Labour may want to spare a thought for what they've done: if polls are to be believed (and after the general election, who knows), it was Jowell who was widely seen to have the best chance of beating Zac Goldsmith next May, who everyone assumes is a shoo-in for the Tories.
The MP for Tooting and former Shadow Minister for London is Ken Livingstone's choice of candidate and has been spending his campaign talking about anti-austerity and championing workers' and human rights — as well as pushing London issues like building more housing, better conditions for renters, and working for fairer transport fares. And it was Khan who oversaw the general election for Labour in London, where the party bucked its dismal national trend.
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