Touted Labour win ups FTSE to 4900

By close of business in London, the FTSE 100 index rose almost 20 points or 0.4% to 4902.3, led mainly by Xstrata and International Power. While Xstrata gained 26p or 2.84% to 942p, rival mining group BHP Billiton also added 18p or 2.77% to 667.5p and Rio Tinto earned 33p or 2.06% to £16.38. International Power gained 5.25p or 2.82% to 191.5p and British Airways also closed up 6.5p or 2.63% to 253.5p. In contrast, ICI fell 17.25p or 6.56% to 245.75p and William Hill dropped 11p or 2.04% to 529p. Earlier in the day, the FTSE 100 index had struggled to make any gains after two exp...