Labour's Ken Livingstone has edged ahead of his conservative rival Boris Johnson according to a new London election poll - but by just one percentage point.
The survey, commissioned by trade union Unison, showed the current Mayor was first choice for 41 per cent of those who were "absolutely certain to vote".
Boris Johnson was a close second with 40 per cent, then came Lib Dem Brian Paddick with 14 per cent, and finally the Green Party’s Sian Berry with 5 per cent.
On Monday a YouGovpoll carried out for the Evening Standard newspaper put Mr Johnson nine points ahead of his rival.
But Mr Livingstone complained that YouGov'smethods were flawed and did not take account of the larger ethnic minority population in the capital.
According to the Unison poll, carried out by IPSOS-MORI, Mr Livingstone was favoured by more people aged 18 to 34 (55 per cent compared to Johnson's 29 per cent), and women voters (46 per cent to 39 per cent).
The findings also implied that a higher voter turn-out would benefit Mr Livingstone. Of everyone who expressed a voting preference, regardless of whether they would actually vote, 45 per cent supported the current mayor and 38 per cent backed Boris Johnson.
The survey covered 1,000 people who were polled by phone between April 1st and 7th.
Mr Livingstone said: “The poll which counts is on May 1, but Londoners who want London to continue to move forward to tackle the great possibilities and challenges of the 21st century, rather than retreating into being a narrow Conservative backwater, know they have every chance of this.”
Last Wednesday, an ICM phone poll for The Guardianput Tory Mr Johnson in the lead on 42 per cent, 1 per cent ahead of the current Mayor.