Sadiq Khan seen walking dog Luna as he retweets congratulations from fellow left-wing city chiefs

Sadiq Khan was today relishing his election victory as he retweeted congratulations from from left-wing mayors across the world.

Out for a walk with dog Luna this afternoon, the newly re-elected London Mayor was taking his more than 200,000-vote majority in his stride.

Mr Khan polled 1,206,034 votes to Conservative challenger Shaun Bailey’s 977, 601, after failing to win in first preference votes alone.

But despite seeing his majority cut from 2016’s result there was an outpouring  of congratulatory messages with several coming from left-wing mayors around the globe which Mr Khan was happy to retweet.

Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, tweeted: ‘Congratulations to my London counterpart and friend @SadiqKhan on his re-election as the mayor of the city. Paris is standing side by side with you and London.’

A member of the Socialist Party (PS), Hidalgo is the first woman to hold the office.

Dario Nardella, Florence’s centre-left mayor said: ‘congratulations my friend @SadiqKhan! Your re-election is another hope for Europe of rights, environment and peace, the Europe of cities! Let’s work again together @EUROCITIES #LondonMayoralElection.’

Mr Khan replied: ‘Thank you Dario. It’s never been more important that we unite to solve the great challenges facing our cities – and I look forward to continued collaboration on our shared vision of a fairer, safer and greener future.’

Erion Veliaj, the socialist mayor of Albanian capital Tirana pointed out that the ‘great news’ had come on Europe Day.

‘Congrats Sadiq, and Godspeed! Thanks to everyone who pulled for our friend @SadiqKhan – he will continue to be a most progressive mayor and keep London a global example of openness and resilience in these challenging times! Bravo!’ 

Mr Khan pledged to ‘build bridges’ with Boris Johnson’s government after winning a second term as Mayor of London and surviving having his majority slashed by former rank outsider Shaun Bailey. 

The Labour incumbent will serve a truncated new three-year term after winning the election that was postponed from last year due to the pandemic.

But he was pushed all the way by Mr Bailey, who until yesterday had been given little hope of getting anywhere close to him.  

Mr Khan tonight polled 1,206,034 votes to Mr Bailey’s 977, 601, a majority of 228,433. With second preference votes included Mr Khan won 55 per cent of the vote, down from 57 per cent in 2016. 

Trailing behind them were Laurence Fox who finished in sixth place and will be forced to repay his deposit after receiving only 1.8 per cent, below the required five per cent.

In a sign that will please the Tories, Mr Khan’s lead over Mr Bailey is narrower than the 14-point win he achieved over Tory Zac Goldsmith in 2016. 

However, it may raise questions about how well the Tories could have done if they had put more effort into supporting Mr  Bailey.  Boris Johnson and his most senior ministers were noticeable by their lack of appearances with him during his campaign, while making repeated visits to Hartlepool and other targets.

In a speech from City Hall Mr Bailey said: ‘As I went through these, for me what was two years of campaigning, one feeling felt familiar to me, one challenge had always felt the same.

‘And that was the feeling of being written off – by pollsters, by journalists, by fellow politicians.

‘But it’s no surprise to me that Londoners didn’t write me off.’ 

Mr Khan said he had been handed an ‘overwhelming mandate’. He  won around 40 per cent of first preference votes.

Shaun Bailey came second with 35.3 per cent of the votes. However, Mr Khan pushed further ahead on second preference votes.  

Mr Bailey focused his campaign on the spiraling knife crime in the capital, trying to paint Mr Khan as weak on law and order.

And congratulating the winner, Mr Bailey told him: ‘I hope you take this opportunity to focus on the fact that people who look like me are four times as likely to be murdered than people who look like you.’ 

A result was expected earlier this evening, but counting was delayed after staff at one count found three unopened boxes of votes after they had finished. 

Mr Khan pledged to build a ‘better and brighter future’ for the capital following the coronavirus pandemic in his victory speech from City Hall .

‘I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart,’ he said.

‘I am deeply humbled by the trust Londoners have placed in me to continue leading the greatest city on earth.

‘I promise to strain every sinew, help build a better and brighter future for London, after the dark days of the pandemic and to create a greener, fairer and safer city for all Londoners, to get the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential.

‘It’s in this spirit that I promise to lead London over the next three years, building bridges between the different communities in our city, building bridges across cultural, social and class divides.

‘Building bridges between London and the rest of the country to ensure London can play its part in a national recovery.

‘And building bridges between City Hall and the Government.

‘Because we must all work together to build a brighter, greener and more equal future for London, and for our entire country, after the pandemic. 

‘I am proud to have won an overwhelming mandate today.’

In a surprise result the Greens’ Sian Berry came third ahead of the Liberal Democrats’ Luisa Porritt.

Only the top three candidates won enough votes to keep their deposit.