London  - Conservative candidate Boris Johnson has won the election to become mayor of London, ousting veteran Labour incumbent Ken Livingstone, results late Friday showed.

The result gives the Conservatives, who are in opposition at the national level in Britain, control over London for the first time since the mayoral post was created in 2000.

Johnson, a 43-year-old journalist and Conservative member of parliament, is a colourful and eccentric figure whose politics are in stark contrast to those of Livingstone.

His election is a major triumph for the Conservatives at the national level, while compounding the bitter setback for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, whose ruling Labour Party suffered stinging losses in local elections. (dpa)