Lord Archer insisted the result of the Tory hustings meeting on Tuesday night - when he polled 868 votes compared to 595 by his rival Steven Norris - showed his party rejected the campaign against him.

London's Evening Standard in particular has raised the millionaire novelist's invented academic qualifications and other murky episodes from his past.

But Tory leader William Hague said he was unconcerned. He insisted both Lord Archer and Mr Norris would make fine candidates.

Lord Archer: "I'm no saint"

And Lord Archer urged his party, which must now choose between him and Mr Norris in a postal ballot, to forgive mistakes in his past.

"I think in politics if we are now only going to have people who have never made mistakes you are going to end up with saints. All of us have made mistakes in our lives, some you regret, some you have to fight on through.

"They voted last night overwhelmingly for me. Perhaps they're not going to allow one newspaper to decide who will be the mayor of London.

Lord Archer talks to Sir David Frost: "I've always been a fighter, I've always liked a challenge"

"Those things have been put in front of people and I was delighted by the result last night. They couldn't have had a better chance to read them and then decide.

"But I hope on the balance people will say London needs an energetic, enthusiastic, lively person who is going to get things done and this is the right man."

Hague 'will support members' choice'

Mr Hague, has dismissed suggestions that he is worried at the prospect of Lord Archer winning the party's nomination.

William Hague has dismissed questions over Lord Archer's past

"I am not concerned about members of the party making their own decisions,'' he said.

"I will give full support to whoever they choose as their candidate, be it Jeffrey Archer or Steven Norris.

"They are both men of great ability, great energy and I think the party members now have a choice between two extremely good candidates."

Delegates from the 74 constituency parties in the capital picked Lord Archer and Mr Norris from a shortlist of four candidates. Former local council leaders Andrew Boff and Bob Blackman had 156 and 135 votes respectively.

Steve Norris: "Tories can win in London"

Lord Archer said he would continue his campaign by focusing on the issue of London's transport and opposing John Prescott's plans for the Tube.

"The government are in a real mess on transport and if London ends up with its Tube sold off in four parts there is only one thing we will be able to talk about in a year's time and that is fare rises and Londoners are sick of fare rises," he said.

He claimed no new funding would be needed for this, if the Treasury could be persuaded to allow London to keep its tax revenue.

Steve Norris makes the ill-fated remark: "I will never, ever support Archer"

Mr Norris, who had been hit by a row over a recorded comment in which he said he would not back Lord Archer "alive or dead" just ahead of Tuesday's vote, said he was delighted to have got through to the final round.

"It is obvious that the result of the postal ballot is open and there is all to play for. I will be doing my damnedest to be there on 1 October," he said.

"This is all about improving the quality of life for everyone who lives and works in London."

He predicted the Tories would win the mayoral battle: "Labour is all over the shop. If we can offer a united party we will win."