Labour candidate Sadiq Khan was set to become the first Muslim to be elected mayor of London on Thursday, loosening the ruling Conservatives' hold on Britain's financial center after a campaign marred by charges of anti-Semitism and extremism.
His expected victory may be a lone bright spot for the Labour Party on a day of local elections in England, Scotland and Wales. Opinion polls suggested the main opposition party will lose seats in some traditional strongholds, testing the authority of its new left-wing leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
In bright sunshine, Britons trickled in to voting stations to cast their ballots in elections which some campaigners fear could fail to attract many voters, as the contests have been overshadowed by next month's referendum on whether Britain should remain in or leave the European Union.