London Residents elect first Muslim mayor

Associated Press

LONDON

Sadiq Khan became London’s first Muslim mayor today, as voters rejected attempts to taint him with links to extremism and handed a decisive victory to the bus driver’s son from south London.

Khan hailed his victory as the triumph of “hope over fear and unity over division.”

His win was the most- dramatic result in local and regional elections that produced few big changes but underscored Britain’s political divisions ahead of a referendum on whether to remain in the European Union.

Labour Party candidate Khan received more than 1.3 million votes – 57 percent of the total – to Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith’s 43 percent, after voters’ first and second preferences were allocated.

Turnout was a relatively high 45.6 percent, up from 38 percent in 2012.