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Sadiq Khan has strengthened his lead in the race for Mayor of London, the first poll of 2020 reveals today.

A poll of 1,002 Londoners by YouGov finds the sitting Mayor with a two-to-one margin over Conservative challenger Shaun Bailey.

Mr Khan is on 49 per cent, up four points since November and close to the 50 per cent share that would deliver victory in round one, according to the research commissioned by Queen Mary University of London’s Mile End Institute.

Mr Bailey is on 24 per cent, up one point. In third place, former Cabinet minister Rory Stewart, running as an independent, has failed to increase his 13 per cent share.

With second preferences allocated in a run-off between the Labour and Tory candidates, Mr Khan would win by 67 per cent to 33 per cent. Against Mr Stewart, it would be a narrower 59 to 41 result.

The poll reveals that Mr Bailey is still unknown to about two-thirds of Londoners, 18 months after being picked as candidate. Between 66 and 74 per cent answered “don’t know” when asked if a range of attributes applied to him.

Mr Stewart scores fewer “don’t knows” — between 54 and 66 per cent — but by two to one, Londoners with an opinion do not think he is “a real Londoner”.

Green Party co-leader Sian Berry is unchanged on seven per cent, Liberal Democrat Siobhan Benita is squeezed in to fifth place, down four points to just four per cent, which is no better than she achieved as an independent candidate in 2012.

Women’s Equality Party candidate Mandu Reid has one per cent. Mr Khan looks in a strong position with two months to go until the election.

He is ahead of Mr Bailey in almost all categories, including among white and BME voters, men and women, professional classes and manual workers. Only Brexit voters prefer the Conservative hopeful.

Philip Cowley, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said: “Sadiq Khan remains on course for a comfortable victory, only just missing out winning in the first round.”