Ken and Boris slug it out in East London

Labour s Ken Livingstone was ahead in the race for Mayor of London ver Tory challenger Boris Johnson in the huge City & East constituency just after mid-day today (Fri), when 28 per cent of the vote was counted. The constituency includes Tower Hamlets, Newham, Barking & Dagenham and the City of London

LABOUR's Ken Livingstone was ahead in the race for Mayor of London over Tory challenger Boris Johnson in the huge City & East constituency just after mid-day today (Fri), when 28 per cent of the vote was counted.

The constituency count is being carried out at the Excel exhibition centre in East London for both the race for Mayor and London Assembly representative for the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham, Barking & Dagenham and the City of London.

Livingstone was also ahead in neighbouring Greenwich & Lewisham constituency, while Johnson held strong leads in Havering & Redbridge and Bexley & Bromley.

The elections so far are not good news for MP George Galloway's bid for the Assembly on the London-wide Party List poll.

He is lagging well behind even the BNP in City & East, Havering & Redbridge, Greenwich & Lewisham and Bexley & Bromley.

Labour's John Biggs who is defending his City & East seat on the Assembly has a two-to-one lead so far over his nearest challenger, Tory Phil Briscoe.

Official turn out for the whole of London is 45 per cent, with 2.4 million Londoners who voted yesterday.