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London poll results on knife edge Flush Tories count on Johnson win
(about 1 hour later)
Londoners are waiting to find out who will be their next mayor after polls closed on a hotly contested campaign that left the outcome uncertain. The Conservatives are hoping Boris Johnson can crown their May Day local election victories by unseating mayor Ken Livingstone in London.
Opinion polls suggested Labour incumbent Ken Livingstone and Tory Boris Johnson were neck-and-neck, with Lib Dem Brian Paddick a distant third. Tory triumphs in local elections around England have raised hopes in the party that it could be about to take the keys to City Hall for the first time.
The election will also decide the 25 members of the London Assembly. The election will also decide the 25 members of the London Assembly, which scrutinises the work of the mayor.
Electronic counting of votes begins at 0830 BST and the process is expected to take up to 12 hours. Vote counting begins at 0830 BST and is expected to take up to 12 hours.
The count will take place at three venues - Alexandra Palace, Excel and Olympia in south London. The process will take place at three venues - Alexandra Palace, Excel and Olympia in south London - and the new mayor will be declared at City Hall on Friday evening.
The winner of the mayoral vote will be declared at City Hall on Friday evening. Neck-and-neck
Powerful impact Opinion polls had placed Mr Livingstone and Mr Johnson neck-and-neck, with Lib Dem ex-police commander Brian Paddick a distant third.
The race to run London is the highest-profile contest in the 2008 round of elections. The knife-edge race to run London is the highest-profile contest in the 2008 round of elections.
Analysts say the result could have a powerful impact on national politics in the run-up to the next general election, which is due by 2010. Analysts say the outcome could have a powerful impact on national politics ahead of the next general election, which is due by 2010.
Mr Johnson has given Mr Livingstone his toughest challenge since the job of London mayor was set up in 2000. class="lp" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/default.stm">HAVE YOUR SAY As a British ex-pat living in the US - would the last person leaving London, turn the lights off please!Milton JPort Washington class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4712">Send us your comments
Tory MP Mr Johnson has given Mr Livingstone his toughest challenge since the job of London mayor was set up in 2000.
Pundits say a first defeat for Mr Livingstone would be a major blow to Labour and Prime Minister Gordon Brown.Pundits say a first defeat for Mr Livingstone would be a major blow to Labour and Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The first Tory mayor of London would also give party leader David Cameron his biggest electoral prize so far as he tries to show the Conservatives are once more ready for office, say correspondents.The first Tory mayor of London would also give party leader David Cameron his biggest electoral prize so far as he tries to show the Conservatives are once more ready for office, say correspondents.
Ex-police commander Mr Paddick claims a groundswell of support on the capital's streets will see him exceed pollsters' expectations.
HAVE YOUR SAY As a British ex-pat living in the US - would the last person leaving London, turn the lights off please!Milton JPort Washington Send us your comments
The results will almost certainly be decided on crucial second preference votes, say pundits.The results will almost certainly be decided on crucial second preference votes, say pundits.
In the vote for the 25-member London Assembly, 14 members are directly elected from constituencies, each made up of two London boroughs. Attention in the capital will also be focused on the fortunes of the British National Party and George Galloway's Respect.
The remaining 11 are divided between the parties in proportion to London-wide votes. Both parties are vying to hurdle the 5% threshold needed to win their first seats on the London Assembly.
Conservatives will be hoping to maintain their position as the largest single grouping, but it is unlikely any party will obtain an overall majority, say analysts. The Greens and UK Independence Party will be hoping to repeat their successes in 2004, when each took two seats.
About 5.5m voters had been registered in the capital to cast their ballots for the elections. Conservatives aim to remain the largest single grouping, although no single party is expected to obtain an overall majority.
An inquiry was launched on Thursday after it was reported that polling station staff in Lambeth, south London, had destroyed 10 ballot papers by writing on them. About 5.5m voters were registered to cast their ballots for the capital's elections.
Problems also struck in Barnet when five polling stations failed to receive ballot papers by the time polls opened because of overnight computer glitches.
There were 10 candidates in the race for the post of London mayor.
The other hopefuls were: Richard Barnbrook of the BNP; Alan Craig of Christian Choice: Matt O'Connor for the English Democrats; Sian Berry of the Green Party; the Left List's Lindsey German; Gerard Batten of the UK Independence Party; and independent Winston McKenzie.