<p>New London mayor Sadiq Khan won a landslide victory Saturday, becoming the first Muslim leader of a Western capital, boosting the Labour party and raising questions over failed Conservative tactics.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Khan, whose Pakistani parents emigrated to Britain in the 1960s, beat Conservative multimillionaire Zac Goldsmith with 57 percent or 1.3 million votes -- handing him the largest mandate of any British politician in history.<br /><br />"Thank you London. London is the greatest city in the world. I am so proud of our city. I am deeply humbled by the hope and trust you have placed in me today," Khan said in his acceptance speech in the early hours.<br /><br />"I grew up on a council estate... back then I never dreamt that someone like me could be elected as mayor of London.<br /><br />"I want every single Londoner to get the opportunities that our city gave to me and my family -- the opportunities not just to survive, but to thrive."<br /><br />Khan swept to victory despite repeated insinuations over extremist links from his rivals, including Prime Minister David Cameron.<br /><br />Khan repeatedly rejected the allegations and Labour accused Goldsmith of Islamophobia.<br /><br />"This election was not without controversy and I am so proud that London has today chosen hope over fear and unity over division," the 45-year-old added.<br /><br />"I hope that we will never be offered such a stark choice again. Fear doesn't make us safer, it only makes us weaker, and the politics of fear is simply not welcome in our city."<br /><br />The victory offered some cheer for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn after setbacks elsewhere following regional elections across Britain on Thursday, amid a damaging row over anti-Semitism in the party.<br /><br />Khan succeeds the charismatic Boris Johnson after a two-year term.<br />The London mayoralty has responsibility for transport, housing, policing and promoting economic development, but also carries prestige and political clout at national level.<br /><br />News of the win was applauded in Pakistan.<br /><br />"Congratulations @SadiqKhan 4 being elected mayor of London," tweeted Bilawal Bhutto, leader of the opposition Pakistan People's Party and son of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.<br /><br />"British Pakistanis need... rolemodel," the tweet added.<br /><br />Rival opposition leader and former cricketer Imran Khan -- whose ex-wife Jemima is the sister of Zac Goldsmith -- also tweeted congratulations.<br /><br />Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo added on Twitter that Khan's "humanity, progressivism will benefit Londoners".<br /><br />The victory was hailed in Tooting, a multi-ethnic area of south London where Khan lives and where he grew up in social housing, before becoming first a human rights lawyer and then a member of parliament.<br /><br />There were however recriminations in the Conservative camp.<br /><br />Former Conservative Cabinet minister and party co-chair Sayeeda Warsi warned: "Our appalling dog-whistle campaign lost us the election, our reputation and credibility on issues of race and religion".<br /><br />Goldsmith's sister Jemima added the way the contest was fought "did not reflect who I know him to be".<br /><br />Cameron's former adviser, Steve Hilton, said Goldsmith had brought back the "nasty party label".<br /><br />At the same time, Warsi and Conservative business minister Sajid Javid -- who like Khan were also children of Pakistani immigrant bus drivers -- both sent their congratulations to the new mayor.<br /><br />Labour meanwhile fared less well in other elections on Britain's "Super Thursday", in which 45 million Britons were eligible to vote.<br /><br />The party came third in elections for the devolved government in Scotland, behind the Conservatives, in a vote won by the incumbent pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP).<br /><br />Labour retained power in the Welsh assembly, although it lost one seat, and with 118 of 124 results declared, maintained all but one of its local councils in England.<br />Corbyn, a veteran socialist who has faced opposition from centrists in his party since being elected last year, said his party had surpassed expectations.<br /><br />But critics said Labour should have made more gains given the splits in the Conservative government before the EU referendum on June 23, and its unpopular spending cuts.<br /><br />SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will lead the separatist party into its third successive government in Edinburgh, although the party lost its outright majority.<br /><br />She announced she would lead a minority administration, and played down talk of a fresh independence referendum to follow the unsuccessful plebiscite in 2014.<br /><br />The other big story in Scotland was the success of the Scottish Conservatives, who came second with 31 seats.<br /><br />The party has been deeply unpopular in Scotland since the 1980s premiership of Margaret Thatcher but its fortunes have turned around under current Scottish leader Ruth Davidson.<br /><br />Elsewhere, the anti-European, anti-immigration UK Independence Party (UKIP) secured its first seat in the Welsh assembly and two seats in the London assembly.<br /></p>
<p>New London mayor Sadiq Khan won a landslide victory Saturday, becoming the first Muslim leader of a Western capital, boosting the Labour party and raising questions over failed Conservative tactics.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Khan, whose Pakistani parents emigrated to Britain in the 1960s, beat Conservative multimillionaire Zac Goldsmith with 57 percent or 1.3 million votes -- handing him the largest mandate of any British politician in history.<br /><br />"Thank you London. London is the greatest city in the world. I am so proud of our city. I am deeply humbled by the hope and trust you have placed in me today," Khan said in his acceptance speech in the early hours.<br /><br />"I grew up on a council estate... back then I never dreamt that someone like me could be elected as mayor of London.<br /><br />"I want every single Londoner to get the opportunities that our city gave to me and my family -- the opportunities not just to survive, but to thrive."<br /><br />Khan swept to victory despite repeated insinuations over extremist links from his rivals, including Prime Minister David Cameron.<br /><br />Khan repeatedly rejected the allegations and Labour accused Goldsmith of Islamophobia.<br /><br />"This election was not without controversy and I am so proud that London has today chosen hope over fear and unity over division," the 45-year-old added.<br /><br />"I hope that we will never be offered such a stark choice again. Fear doesn't make us safer, it only makes us weaker, and the politics of fear is simply not welcome in our city."<br /><br />The victory offered some cheer for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn after setbacks elsewhere following regional elections across Britain on Thursday, amid a damaging row over anti-Semitism in the party.<br /><br />Khan succeeds the charismatic Boris Johnson after a two-year term.<br />The London mayoralty has responsibility for transport, housing, policing and promoting economic development, but also carries prestige and political clout at national level.<br /><br />News of the win was applauded in Pakistan.<br /><br />"Congratulations @SadiqKhan 4 being elected mayor of London," tweeted Bilawal Bhutto, leader of the opposition Pakistan People's Party and son of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.<br /><br />"British Pakistanis need... rolemodel," the tweet added.<br /><br />Rival opposition leader and former cricketer Imran Khan -- whose ex-wife Jemima is the sister of Zac Goldsmith -- also tweeted congratulations.<br /><br />Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo added on Twitter that Khan's "humanity, progressivism will benefit Londoners".<br /><br />The victory was hailed in Tooting, a multi-ethnic area of south London where Khan lives and where he grew up in social housing, before becoming first a human rights lawyer and then a member of parliament.<br /><br />There were however recriminations in the Conservative camp.<br /><br />Former Conservative Cabinet minister and party co-chair Sayeeda Warsi warned: "Our appalling dog-whistle campaign lost us the election, our reputation and credibility on issues of race and religion".<br /><br />Goldsmith's sister Jemima added the way the contest was fought "did not reflect who I know him to be".<br /><br />Cameron's former adviser, Steve Hilton, said Goldsmith had brought back the "nasty party label".<br /><br />At the same time, Warsi and Conservative business minister Sajid Javid -- who like Khan were also children of Pakistani immigrant bus drivers -- both sent their congratulations to the new mayor.<br /><br />Labour meanwhile fared less well in other elections on Britain's "Super Thursday", in which 45 million Britons were eligible to vote.<br /><br />The party came third in elections for the devolved government in Scotland, behind the Conservatives, in a vote won by the incumbent pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP).<br /><br />Labour retained power in the Welsh assembly, although it lost one seat, and with 118 of 124 results declared, maintained all but one of its local councils in England.<br />Corbyn, a veteran socialist who has faced opposition from centrists in his party since being elected last year, said his party had surpassed expectations.<br /><br />But critics said Labour should have made more gains given the splits in the Conservative government before the EU referendum on June 23, and its unpopular spending cuts.<br /><br />SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will lead the separatist party into its third successive government in Edinburgh, although the party lost its outright majority.<br /><br />She announced she would lead a minority administration, and played down talk of a fresh independence referendum to follow the unsuccessful plebiscite in 2014.<br /><br />The other big story in Scotland was the success of the Scottish Conservatives, who came second with 31 seats.<br /><br />The party has been deeply unpopular in Scotland since the 1980s premiership of Margaret Thatcher but its fortunes have turned around under current Scottish leader Ruth Davidson.<br /><br />Elsewhere, the anti-European, anti-immigration UK Independence Party (UKIP) secured its first seat in the Welsh assembly and two seats in the London assembly.<br /></p>