Boris Johnson urges government to hand mayoralty much wider powers

Boris Johnson this week outlined a vision for the Greater London Authority group that would involve significantly enhanced powers for the Mayor of London and devolution to London boroughs in areas such as skills and housing.

The Mayor called for:

• The London region of the Homes and Communities Agency to be devolved to the GLA
• The functions of the London Development Agency to be folded into the GLA
• A resulting London housing and regeneration body to be created as an executive arm of the GLA
• The Olympic Park Legacy Company to be reformed as a Mayoral Development Corporation, reporting directly to the Mayor. The fact that there are currently seven bodies contributing to the regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley caused confusion and duplication, he claimed.
• The Royal Parks Agency and the Port of London Authority to be devolved from Whitehall to the Mayor
• Greater powers over traffic control and the awarding of rail franchises on routes into London to be given to the Mayor
• The power to approve the allocation of the adult skills budget in London to be granted to the London Skills and Employment Board, which the Mayor chairs, and
• A greater say in health provision in the capital to be given to City Hall.

Johnson also suggested that the London Assembly should be given an enhanced role on strategy development and in scrutinising the Mayor’s work.

The Mayor said he wanted to see an enhanced role for London boroughs in terms of skills and housing “among other areas” in line with the principles of double devolution.

Speaking in response to the government’s decision to shut the Government Office for London, Johnson said: “The capital is a global powerhouse with a population as large as Wales and Scotland combined, yet despite providing this world city with clear leadership, the Mayoralty has few formal powers, despite substantial informal powers. This will no longer do.

“Too much is controlled by Whitehall and measured by standards that don’t specifically apply to Londoners, meaning our devolution settlement has remained weak with much room for improvement, particularly where decisions should be taken by those in the local communities they affect.”

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said he welcomed Johnson’s remarks, and insisted the government was committed to decentralisation of power.

He said: “We have already started with the abolition of the unnecessary Government Office for London and delivered more freedoms and less red tape for local councils. I now want to build a political consensus for further devolution of power, and our Localism Bill in the autumn will provide an opportunity to amend legislation accordingly.”

Pickles said this should involve giving London boroughs freedoms that councils outside London will enjoy.