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In the London mayoral race, counting has started this morning. Sadiq Khan and Susan Hall are eager to find out if they have been elected to City Hall.
Thirteen candidates are competing in the race, including the two front-runners. The outcome is expected to be revealed on Saturday.
It is anticipated that the contest between Labour incumbent Mr. Khan and Tory challenger Ms. Hall would be closer than initially anticipated.
It comes after turnout fell in all of Sadiq Khan’s key battlegrounds – and rose in some of Susan Hall’s Tory heartlands - sparking rumours in political circles that Ms Hall could pull off a shock win. A Labour source said that the fundamentals were still good for Mr Khan but that no one could know the outcome of the vote at this stage.
Counting began at 9am on Saturday. Votes will be counted alongside the election for the London Assembly.
The first results on the mayoralty may come in around midday, with speculation that by around 1.30pm it might be clear who will emerge as the winner.
Voting figures for each of the 14 London Assembly constituencies will be announced as soon as each count is completed, with the first declaration expected on Saturday afternoon.
The mayoral votes for that constituency will be announced at the same time. You will be able to follow all the results on our dedicated page, and on this live blog.
The “official” declaration time for the mayoural contest is 1.30pm but many expect the announcement to come later than that, and it could stretch into Saturday evening.
It comes as results of several other mayoral, council, and police and crime commissioner elections will also be announced on Saturday, after a bruising day of election results for Rishi Sunak., when the Conservatives suffered a net loss of 371 seats, and lost control of 10 councils.
A narrow contest is also likely as West Midlands Tory mayor Andy Street seeks reelection. A failure to unseat the Tory mayor would represent a setback for Sir Keir Starmer after otherwise good local elections for his party.
