Greenwich and Lewisham keep Duvall and London re-elects its Mayor

So, Boris has beaten Ken by that painfully narrow margin of 3% but Labour's Len Duvall is re-elected with almost 50% of the vote as Assembly Member for Greenwich and Lewisham.  You've read it all elsewhere by now, but here goes for posterity:

1. Mayoral votes 2012

Despite a result promised early in the evening, especially given the low turnout, we were kept on tenterhooks until almost midnight. During this time, the result kept being expected 'in about half an hour' but was constantly pushed back, with tales of 'lost and found' ballot boxes and the electronic counting machine failing. Then finally they assembled and the nerve-wrackingly close result announced. Boris stepped up with a shambolic speech, sounding like he had forgotten he was not still on a campaign trail, trotting out transport developments in a "neo-victorian surge". He later remembered to thank a few people, including inviting Ken for a "non-taxpayer-funded libation". Then the tragic figure of Ken - I felt very sorry for him. I read somewhere he looked like a 'sad ET'. He has London in his blood and London was his end game, not a stepping-stone to a post elsewhere. (He was also my indirect boss for a few years in the mid-eighties when I worked at County Hall for the ILEA - I occasionally passed him on the stairs on the hallowed, wood-panelled 'member's floor' - he always had a cheerful hello even for us juniors).

2. Greenwich and Lewisham constituency member votes 2012

For my local constituency, Greenwich and Lewisham, notably - Duvall actually increased his vote share from 36.2% in 2008 (table below) to 49.6% yesterday (above). The Tories down from 25.2% in 2008 to 20.7%. The Lib Dems took a drubbing dropping to 4th position this time behind the Greens, reflecting the Mayoral table.  UKIP increased its share from 2.7% to 3.8%. The BNP did not stand in 2008 but the National Front did then get a whopping 5.8%. This time though both parties fielded candidates in the same constituency (!) (as they did in some others - must check those) but even then got a combined 4.3%. As others have commented, the collapse of the openly far-right has been a real success story in these elections, given the mood across the water in France with their Front Nationale getting almost 20%. On the other-hand, the UKIP vote (some call it the BNP for the polite) increased in Greenwich & Lewisham.

3. Greenwich and Lewisham constituency member votes 2008

In Greenwich & Lewisham, here's how we voted this time for the Mayor:

4. Mayoral voting in Greenwich & Lewisham

Despite backing a Conservative London Mayor, voters increased the Labour share of the London Assembly. The London Assembly has 25 seats - each of the 14 constituencies elects one assembly member using the first past the post system. The remaining 11 seats are for London-wide members, who represent the whole of the city.

5. London Assembly results 2012

 So the 2012 London constituency map now looks like this (compared to the one in 2008):

6. London Assembly Constituency map 2012

While voters were attracted to the celebrity of Boris for Mayor (despite being reminded that they were not voting for a game show host), elsewhere Labour made gains, in London and in Council elections which were held. Much more to add, but that's it for now, look forward to other local analysis - we're off out!