Labour's Sadiq Khan is set to be named London mayor, breaking the Conservatives' eight-year hold on City Hall.
With the final votes still being counted, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn led congratulations from the party's MPs, as broadcasters calculated that the bus driver's son and human rights lawyer had built up a mathematically unassailable lead over Tory rival Zac Goldsmith.
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, offered her “felicitations” on Twitter, saying she was looking forward to strengthening co-operation between the two capitals on key issues like housing, pollution and culture.
The Tooting MP was the clear frontrunner from the start of the counting process, which saw details of first preference votes released as they were collated using an electronic system.
And Mr Corbyn did not wait for the official result to claim victory on Twitter, declaring: “Congratulations Sadiq Khan. Can’t wait to work with you to create a London that is fair for all! #YesWeKhan.”
PA