Boris Johnson elected Mayor of London

Boris Johnson has been elected Mayor of London, defeating the Labour mayor Ken Livingstone, who has run the city since 2000.

The result was announced late on 2 May, after a count delayed by problems with the electronic counting system.

The result

Johnson, the Conservative candidate, won after second preferences were counted, with around 53 per cent of the vote to Livingstone's 47 per cent. Turnout was the highest in any London mayoral election.

Johnson did particularly well in the outer London boroughs, where the Conservatives have strong support.

Who is Boris Johnson?

Johnson, 43, has been the MP for Henley since 2001. He is a former editor of The Spectator magazine and a well-known television personality, famous for his distinctive blond hair and colourful turn of phrase.

During the campaign, he promised to tackle crime on public transport, replace articulated "bendy" buses and introduce a new version of the Routemaster bus.

A blow for Labour

The result is a severe blow to Gordon Brown's government. Labour has also suffered heavy losses in local elections across England and Wales, finishing third in the national share of the vote behind the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

The Conservative leader, David Cameron, said the results showed that the Conservatives were ready to govern. Brown said he had heard the message from voters.

Livingstone's legacy

Livingstone, who was first elected as an independent in 2000 before rejoining Labour, introduced the congestion charge, the Oyster card and helped win the 2012 Olympic Games for London.

He said he took full responsibility for the defeat and wished Johnson well.

The Olympics

As mayor, Johnson will play a leading role in preparations for the 2012 Olympics. He will attend the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in August to receive the Olympic flag.

Elsewhere

In the local elections across England, the Conservatives gained hundreds of seats and took control of several councils. In Birmingham, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat partnership remains in control of the city council.

Johnson will take office next week, and has said he wants to lead a government for all Londoners.