Labour's Frank Dobson trailed a humiliating third on 14 per cent with Susan Kramer the Liberal Democrat candidate on 12 per cent

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Labour's Frank Dobson trailed a humiliating third on 14 per cent with Susan Kramer, the Liberal Democrat candidate, on 12 per cent. Mr Dobson's poor showing leaves the Prime Minister with a difficult dilemma over whether to compensate him with another job.Mr Livingstone said early today: "It is a quite wonderful feeling I never thought I would be back. He said it was now time to "draw a line in the sand" after the election and promised to "establish a system of government that sets a model for the rest of Britain as we move towards directly-elected mayors."Ministers launched a drive to avoid a damaging confrontation with Mr Livingstone, who will have the biggest personal mandate of any politician in Britain. David Blunkett, the Education and Employment Secretary, said: "Let's say to Ken: Congratulations, if you've won. Let's work together."In the town hall polls, Labour lost control in Oldham, Hartlepool, Chorley, Portsmouth, Worcester and Walsall, while the Tories won powerin Southend, Solihull, Eastbourne, Stratford-on-Avon and Rossendale.The BBC predicted the Tories would win 37 per cent of the national vote on the basis of the council elections, ahead of Labour on 30 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 28 per cent.

This suggested a 10 per cent swing to the Tories since the last general election.The town hall results suggested that many Labour supporters in the party's traditional strongholds were staying at home. The Tories made gains in Birmingham, where there was strong evidence that voters were punishing the Government because of the threat of huge job losses at the Rover plant at Longbridge.Ministers will launch a fightback this weekend aimed at steadying the party's nerves. They will dismiss the results as a bout of the "mid-term blues" that afflict all governments.Early returns suggested the turn-out in London would be between 30 and 40 per cent - a setback for Mr Blair's plans for directly elected mayors. He had been hoping more than 50 per cent of Londoners would vote.Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, said the Government had to accept the voters' decision, but that Mr Livingstone had to accept "the very significant responsibilities that go with the job"..

William Hague's tough line on immigration was dealt a blow yesterday with the release of figures indicating the cost of keeping all asylum-seekers in secure detention centres would be at least £2bn. William Hague's tough line on immigration was dealt a blow yesterday with the release of figures indicating the cost of keeping all asylum-seekers in secure detention centres would be at least £2bn. Government figures said that the centres, which are a key part of the Conservatives' asylum policy, would cost £1.68m to start up and a further £420m a year to run.The Liberal Democrats seized on the figures, which were given in a written parliamentary reply. Simon Hughes, the party's Home Affairs spokesman, said: "The start-up costs of William Hague's policy show that it was not a properly considered initiative. This was not a realistic policy but irresponsible politics in the middle of an election campaign."Mr Hague's rhetoric on asylum led to accusations by the British National Party that he was stealing its policies. But the Tory leader's focus on asylum-seekers has put Labour on the defensive.In response to the figures, the Tories stressed that asylum support costs amounted to £600m last year, significantly more than the £420m needed annually to run the secure detention centres.Party sources said the figures also failed to take account of the savings that would inevitably occur on asylum support costs if the policy was implemented. A Tory source added: "These figures are misleading because they also failto reflect that the policy would act as a deterrent to asylum-seekers to come to Britain.". Jack Straw was criticised yesterday for agreeing to share a platform with an American academic who claims black people are genetically less intelligent than whites.