The London mayoral election for the office of mayor of London takes place every four years. The first election was held in May 2000, and six subsequent elections have taken place. The latest mayoral election took place in 2024.
Electoral system The electoral system used for London mayor elections is the supplementary vote method, except in 2024 when the first-past-the-post system was substituted by the Elections Act 2022, which was passed by the Conservative government. In 2026, the Labour government restored the supplementary vote."New law restores fairer voting system for mayoral elections", Electoral Reform Society, 30 April 2026. (Retrieved 13 July 2026.)
In elections held using the supplementary vote system, voters express a first and second choice of candidate. If no candidate receives an absolute majority of first choice votes, all but the two leading candidates are eliminated, and the votes of those eliminated are redistributed according to their second choice votes to determine the winner. (In the first-past-the-post system, voters cast their vote for a candidate of their choice and the candidate who received the most votes won.)
As with most elected posts in the United Kingdom, a candidate must pay a deposit to run in the election. The current deposit a candidate must pay is £10,000, which is returned if the candidate wins at least 5% of the votes cast (first preference votes before 2022). The winner is elected for a fixed term of four years; there are no restrictions on the number of terms a mayor may serve. Elections are held in May.
Results Elections in the 2020s
2024
2021
Incumbent Labour mayor Sadiq Khan won re-election against Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey.
Elections in the 2010s 2016
The 2016 London mayoral election was held on 5 May 2016. The incumbent mayor, Boris Johnson, did not run for re-election for a third term in office, as he was elected the member of parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in the 2015 general election.
2012
The Conservative mayor Boris Johnson was elected to a second term in office, defeating former Labour mayor Ken Livingstone. Livingstone announced his retirement from politics in his concession speech.
Elections in the 2000s 2008
The incumbent Labour mayor, Ken Livingstone was defeated by Conservative candidate Boris Johnson, who became London's second mayor.
2004
In June 2004, the second election was held. After being re-admitted to the Labour Party, Ken Livingstone was their official candidate. He won re-election after second preference votes were counted, with Steven Norris again coming second.
2000
The 2000 campaign was incident-filled. The eventual winner, Ken Livingstone, reneged on an earlier pledge not to run as an independent, after losing the Labour nomination to Frank Dobson. The Conservative Party candidate, Jeffrey Archer, was replaced by Steven Norris after Archer was charged with perjury.
See also Elections in the United Kingdom
References
External links http://www.londonelects.org.uk, official website