Boris sworn in as London mayor

Last Modified: 03 May 2008
By: Cathy Newman

Promising to "lead the fight back" against violent crime, Boris Johnson is officially sworn in as London's mayor.

Mr Johnson, who defeated Labour's Ken Livingstone, said it was now time to put political rancour aside, insisting he wanted to bring all London's communities together in his administration.

And the man once dismissed as a political joke was given a standing ovation by hundreds of supporters outside City Hall.

Greeted like a pop star, the new mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is the most powerful elected Conservative in the land, even though the path to high office hasn't always been smooth.

He had to be persuaded to run for mayor. When he finally did he got off to a slow start, only closing the gap with Labour's Ken Livingstone in the last few weeks.

So it's understandable that after a narrow victory, he seemed almost surprised to step into the onion-shaped building London's first Tory mayor can now call home.

After eight years, Ken Livingstone made one last trip to his office today. His successor paid tribute to him.