British Government ministers claimed victory early this morning as first results from the capital's referendum showed Londoners voting overwhelmingly to enter the new millennium led by Britain's first directly elected mayor.
The City of London and Lewisham were the first to declare for a mayor and a new Greater London Authority. The BBC was predicting victory for the Yes camp by a massive 78 per cent to 22 per cent.
Reports from around the capital suggested a low turnout, varying between 31 per cent in Lewisham and 39 per cent in Wandsworth. But Transport Minister Glenda Jackson - a possible Labour candidate for the top post - insisted "this can't be put down to apathy . . . it's down to certainty on the part of Londonders that this is what they want".
And Mr Ken Livingstone - the populist tip and bookmakers' favourite for the post - agreed that the low turnout was the result of the cross-party backing for the proposals and the absence of a seriously contested campaign.
More than 13,000 candidates were fighting for the 4,174 seats in yesterday's local election contests in England and Wales - providing the first significant test of popular opinion since new Labour's landslide victory in last year's general election. The early indications were that the Tory vote was finally "bottoming out" and the party was anticipating a night of steady seat gains in the council elections across the country.
The focus was on the Londonwide referendum on the proposals for the largest shake-up in local government in the capital since Mrs Thatcher abolished the GLC in 1986.
But the big talking point early this morning centred on a BBC survey showing a majority of London voters apparently prepared to give the mayoral post to Mr Livingstone, the leader of the GLC at the time of its abolition.
The BBC survey, conducted as voters left the polling stations yesterday, showed Mr Livingstone the popular Labour choice and the clear winner over the favoured Tory, former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten, and still further ahead of the present Tory front runner, Lord Archer.
Clearly buoyed by the result, Mr Livingstone immediately said Mr Blair would have to allow Labour's party members in London - rather than the ruling national executive committee - to select the party's standard bearer in an election for what could prove to be the most powerful post in Britain second only to that of the prime minister.
The Conservative leader, Mr Hague, has promised an American-style primary election involving all his party members in London in the selection of the Conservative candidate. And Mr Livingstone maintained Mr Blair would have to do likewise because "he can't make us look less democratic than the Tories".
Ms Jackson, and the Health Secretary Frank Dobson, are variously tipped as Mr Blair's favourites for the party nomination.
Disillusioned with this array of political talent lining up to lead the capital, a group of City businessmen proposed a six-strong team of independents. Former Corporation of London chief Michael Cassidy announced he was preparing a hand-picked "top team of talent" to run the capital like a successful company board.
And last night Frank Maloney, the manager of WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, announced that he too was an independent in the ring. Entrepreneur Richard Branson is among the most heavyweight cast-list of potential independents.