It has been one of the most bitter election fights in recent memory. It has been mired by accusations of racism, extremism and anti-Semitism.

Regardless, it is likely Labour’s Sadiq Khan will be elected the new Mayor of London.

There have been claims that Zack Goldsmith and the Conservative campaign has been divisive and looked to garner support by linking Khan to a range of extremist personalities.

Whilst some of these issues may have hit home in other parts of the UK, the Conservatives have simply miscalculated the importance such points have to the most diverse population on the planet.

London is indeed a country within a country. By encouraging people to think of a person as ‘un-British’ in a capital that in itself is populated by nationalities from across the world was desperate to say the least.

It didn’t work though, did it? The reason has much to do with how British people see other British people. Yes, there are elements who would like nothing else but to trumpet the idea of people having to be one colour, a certain religion and a specific culture.

Only this week we had national newspaper columnists urging voters not for Khan because of him being Muslim.

But there are a growing number who are indeed looking beyond this.

Some of us may be surprised by this, but you shouldn’t be.

If we are to believe what elements of the media have printed and broadcast then Sadiq Khan is linked to almost every third extremist in the western world.

He is also in some way likely to bring about the collapse of the financial capital and most of this is due to him being a Muslim.

We should have several days now of what should be a triumph of Britishness. But instead column inches will be written about what a ‘Muslim’ will do to London.

Being a Muslim, Jew, Hindu or Sikh shouldn’t matter at all. I don’t want to read what a wonderful day it is for politics. I don’t want to hear every news bulletin telling me that a Muslim has been elected as Mayor of London. I want people to accept Sadiq Khan for what he is.

In the run up to this election we got used to reading about Sadiq Khan being in some way less British because of his background.

I can foresee this being a big issue in the coming years too. I would give it a few months before Sadiq is painted as ‘Un-British.’ The sooner we allow people to be what they are without trying to find flaws because of their religion, culture, gender and background the sooner we will be able to say we are truly ‘British.’