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Post by Admin on May 5, 2024 0:41:13 GMT
Votes were counted on the 4th for the two-day London mayoral election, and incumbent Labor Party mayor Sadiq Khan (53), who was aiming for a third term, was elected, defeating Councilor Susan Hall (69) of the ruling Conservative Party and others. . This was reported by the British broadcaster BBC. Mr. Khan received 43.8% of the vote, followed by Mr. Hall with 32.7%.
[Photo summary] Buildings destroyed by Israeli air strikes
Mr. Khan is the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver and became the first Muslim mayor of London in 2016. With the Labor Party leadership showing a pro-Israel stance regarding Israel's attacks on the Palestinian autonomous region of Gaza, where the majority of residents are Muslim, the report also reported that Mr. Khan may lose support from Muslims. It was getting worse.
However, Mr. Khan set himself apart from the party leadership and made his "pro-Palestinian" stance clear from early on, such as by advocating a ceasefire in Gaza, and his Islamic votes appear to have remained steady. In London, over 10% of the population is said to be Muslim.
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Post by Admin on May 5, 2024 5:26:00 GMT
For Sadiq Khan the worst fears did not materialise. His record third mayoral victory came after the threat of a Tory surge in the suburbs simply evaporated. Mr Khan's winning margin was 275,000 votes and his 44% share equalled what he achieved in 2016. Yet there was bitterness in his victory speech, condemning the "non-stop negativity" of his Tory opponent. The campaign appears to have taken its toll. In a contest criticised by some London media as lacklustre and without energy, Mr Khan's safety-first strategy prevailed. His promise of a "safer, fairer and greener" capital brought out his own supporters and also looks to have succeeded in persuading Green and Liberal Democrat voters to "lend" their support to him in the mayoralty while voting for their natural choices for the London Assembly. This was evident in south-west London where the Lib Dems won their first ever constituency Assembly seat - but Mr Khan comfortably out-polled Ms Hall. There was relief in the Labour camp after a campaign where it did not appear easy for Mr Khan to defend his record. Official figures published a week from polling day showed knife crime offences in the capital up 20% in the last year. Over eight years the increase was greater still. Then 48 hours before polling day, there was widespread shock and revulsion at the death of 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin - killed in a sword attack in Hainault. Some thought it might have an impact on the election. Among other pledges Mr Khan offered a fresh commitment to build 40,000 new council homes by the end of the decade - note, not the end of the next four-year mayoral term. There was a big price tag attached to his central "retail" offer. The government already funds free school lunches for the majority of primary school pupils but Mr Khan's extension of this to seven-to-11-year-olds not currently entitled for the next four years will cost well over £1bn.
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Post by Admin on May 5, 2024 15:54:47 GMT
This year's local elections, which included parliamentary elections in 107 local authorities and 11 mayoral elections in England, attracted attention as a prelude to the general election.
According to the BBC, all 107 local governments had counted votes in the parliamentary election by the evening of the 5th, Japan time, and the Conservative Party had lost 474 seats, nearly half of its current 989 seats. The number of local governments that accounted for the majority decreased by 10. On the other hand, the Labor Party, which had the highest number of seats, increased by 186 seats, and the number of local governments with a majority increased by eight. The Conservative Party won fewer seats than the Liberal Democratic Party, falling to third place.
Labor Party leader Keir Starmer said on the 4th: ``The message we send to the Conservative government is clear: We are tired of your division, confusion and failure.'' In response to the election result, which increased the number of votes even in the Conservative Party's stronghold, he expressed confidence, saying, ``We have gained the trust and confidence of voters.We are moving forward toward the general election.''
In the mayoral elections, the Labor Party won in 10 cities, including London, and the Conservative Party only won re-election in one city. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who won three terms for the first time in history, said in his victory speech on the 4th, ``The Labor Party is ready to take over the government again. It's time for Mr. Sunak to give the people a choice.'' Khan requested early implementation.
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