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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brita ... SKCN0XX1W4Labour's Khan becomes first Muslim mayor of London after bitter campaign
LONDON | BY WILLIAM JAMES AND ELIZABETH PIPER
Sadiq Khan, the son of a bus driver, became London's first Muslim mayor on Saturday, seeing off a Conservative challenger who attempted to link him to extremism and securing a much-needed win for his opposition Labour Party.
Khan's victory, which also makes him the first Muslim to head a major Western capital, was confirmed shortly after midnight inside London's futuristic glass and steel city hall following a day of mixed news for Labour in elections elsewhere in the country.
Dealt a crushing blow in Scotland, where it came third behind the Scottish National Party and Britain's ruling Conservatives, Labour did better than expected in England, saving its left-leaning leader from an early challenge.
But the big prize was the London mayor vote, which pitted Khan, 45, who grew up in public housing in inner city London, against Conservative Zac Goldsmith, 41, the son of a billionaire financier.
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