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A day after the electoral authorities had announced massive gains for Labour up and down the country, activists in London were left disappointed as the Tories kept control of City Hall. In an incredibly close contest, incumbent Boris Johnson beat Labour veteran and former mayor Ken Livingstone by 1,054,811 votes to 992,273, after second-preferences were counted. This contrasted sharply with the other results: Labour gained 823 council seats nationally, with the Tories and their Liberal Democrat stooges losing 741 between them.