‘Powers and functions of London Mayor should match those offered to elected regional assemblies’ says Mayor’s Adviser

April 5, 2004

A new report on the performance of the institutions of the Greater London Authority by independent think tank, the New Local Government Network (NLGN) includes calls from an adviser to the Mayor of London that the Mayor should be given greater powers and functions of the kind being promised to new elected regional assemblies. This would enable the post-holder to provide the Capital with more effective and joined-up governance.



London Calling: reflections on four years of the GLA and solutions for the future – an NLGN collection of essays by 15 key experts on London governance – includes an appeal by Neale Coleman, a mayoral policy director with responsibility for the GLA group’s budgets, housing and regeneration, for further powers to be devolved to London’s Mayor:


    “So far in discussion about the new regional assemblies the official ODPM line has been that it is too early to consider powers for London even if these are given to the regional assemblies in areas such as sports and arts funding, strategic housing policy and neighbourhood renewal. This is not really a credible position – if these powers are to be devolved regionally to organizations with no track record how can one resist their devolution to London which has a proven democratic structure in place?”.

Meanwhile, another of the authors, LSE local government expert Tony Travers advocates giving the Mayor greater powers of appointment – something that currently lies with the Assembly:


    “The existing arrangements have had the effect of undermining the Mayor’s willingness to use GLA officers to deliver the authority’s services. Although the Mayor and Assembly have worked together to ensure a number of key mayoral appointments … this system is not ideal. In a fully worked-through version of the American city-government model which the London system closely resembles, the Mayor would appoint all the GLA’s key staff”.

However, sounding a word of caution, NLGN director Dan Corry remarks of the need for an improved scrutiny process to go hand in hand with increased mayoral power:


    “There is a prevailing sense that it would be better to strengthen the hand of the Mayor rather than weaken it, but as a quid pro quo, we must find ways of enabling the Assembly to hold the Mayor properly to account”.

Making the Mayor more accountable is a theme echoed by Westminster City Council leader, Simon Milton who calls for the relationship between the Mayor and London’s boroughs to be ‘more clearly codified’. Cllr Milton however also champions replacing the existing Assembly membership with an Assembly of Borough Leaders:

    “This would both maximize the opportunities for joint working as well as ensure that the Mayor was being scrutinized by those with the most direct interest in ensuring effective administration”.

Published on Monday (5 April), and to be launched at an evening debate and reception at the Guildhall, the NLGN collection includes essays from across the sphere of London governance – including the London Assembly, the Mayor’s office, two Borough councils, the London Development Agency and the Corporation of London, which has also supported the report’s publication. Further essays appear by representatives of London’s business and voluntary communities, pollsters MORI, and academic and media commentators.



For an embargoed press copy of the report or details of the launch event, contact Ian Parker at ian@nlgn.org.uk or 020 7357 0116

Notes for Editors:

The New Local Government Network (NLGN) is an independent think-tank, seeking to transform public services, revitalise local political leadership and empower local communities.



London Calling: reflections on four years of the GLA and solutions for the future is published by NLGN, price £21.25 (inc p&p). To order, email network@nlgn.org.uk or call 020 7357 0152.



London Calling: reflections on four years of the GLA and solutions for the future is formally launched on Monday 5th April, at an NLGN evening debate and reception hosted by the Corporation of London at the Guildhall. The full list of authors for the collection is: Dan Corry, Director, NLGN; Neale Coleman, Advisor to the Mayor, GLA; John Biggs, London Assembly Member for City & East London; Andrew Slaughter, Leader, LB Hammersmith & Fulham; Simon Milton, Leader, City of Westminster Council; David Walker, The Guardian; Nick Sharman, Director of Operations, London Development Agency (currently seconded to DTI); Piers Merchant, Campaigns Executive, London Chamber of Commerce; Michael Snyder, Chair of Policy & Resources Committee, Corporation of London; Dinah Cox, Director of Strategy, London Voluntary Service Council; Andrew Collinge, Kully Kaur-Ballagan and Patrick Fraser of MORI; Tony Travers, Director of the Greater London Group, LSE. The foreword to the collection is by Simon Jenkins of The Times and Evening Standard.


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