Mayor of London election: Candidates cast their votes across the capital
Sadiq Khan, Shaun Bailey and Luisa Porritt have been seen out at polling stations casting their vote this morning for today’s mayor of London election.
Khan, Labour’s incumbent mayor, was seen at a Tooting polling station this morning with his wife Saadiya and their dog Luna.
The mayor had already voted by post, but Saadiya went to vote in person.
His Conservative challenger Bailey was snapped with his wife Ellie after the pair casted their vote in Romford, while Porritt, the Liberal Democrats’ candidate, was out bright and early at a Camden polling station.
Khan is the overwhelming favourite to win the election, after leading Bailey by at least 20 points in most polls over the past year.
However, a YouGov poll yesterday showed his lead had shrunk to 12 points and his campaign team have raised concerns about a low turnout causing an upset.
A YouGov/Evening Standard poll found yesterday that knife crime had become the top issue for for voters in the election, with 52 per cent of respondents calling for the next mayor to make it their number-one priority.
Second was building more affordable homes at 37 per cent, followed by London’s Covid recovery on 35 per cent.
In a polling day message, Khan said: “London needs a safe, green, jobs-first recovery and I have a plan to deliver it. We care about creating and supporting jobs, jobs, jobs.”
Bailey said the Tories had a “real chance of winning this election” and that “the polls are narrowing”
Results of the election are not expected to be announced before Saturday evening at the earliest or Sunday morning at the latest.
The required procedures due to Covid-19 mean that the counting process will take longer than usual.
Londoners will also vote on the London Assembly today, which is a group of 25 elected officials charged with holding the mayor to account.