James Manning/PA
Susan Hall has told her supporters that she ‘so nearly’ beat Sadiq Khan in the London mayoral elections in a sign that gaslighting is alive and well on the right.
The Conservative Party’s candidate in the race had been speculated to have performed better than expected ahead of the vote count, with rumours of an upset getting significant traction on social media.
In the end, Khan romped home in the elections.
He needed to win a simple majority of ballots cast, as the rules for the mayoral race were changed to a first-past-the-post voting system ahead of the latest election.
Khan secured just over 1,088,000 votes to be re-elected London Mayor, a majority of some 275,000 over Conservative rival Hall, who secured just under 813,000 votes.
In terms of raw votes, it was the largest margin of victory in the mayoralty’s history, if second preferences are discounted.
In percentage terms, it was the second-largest margin, after independent Ken Livingstone’s victory in the first round of 2000’s inaugural election.
Speaking in a video posted on social media, Hall gave her thanks to those who voted for her and acknowledged the “extraordinary support” she had received from those who contributed to her campaign.
Reflecting on her defeat, she said: “To be the mayor of the city I have loved and lived in all my life – where I went from the garage workshop as a young woman in a man’s world, to running a business whilst raising a family – would have been wonderful.”
She added: “It has been the honour of my life to stand as mayor for London, and I will never forget what we so nearly achieved together. Thank you again, for everything.”
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