Heaven help us. The Evening Standard is reporting that the London Mayoral race is over and that Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London.
The paper, which endorsed Johnson, says he is so far ahead on first preference votes that even with second preferences taken into account Ken Livingstone can not win. It says privately Labour has conceded.
However, it only quotes Livingstone’s campaign chief Tessa Jowell, speaking at 5pm:
“The reports I’m getting suggest Boris Johnson is ahead. If Ken has not won, London has lost somebody very special.”
Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Paddick has already conceded defeat and said Johnson had won.
Livingstone has done well in north London, but Johnson has broken through elsewhere.
A terrible result for London and Labour.
The official result is apparently now not due until midnight.
