By Vivienne Russell
23 July 2010
London Mayor Boris Johnson has joined forces with the city’s boroughs to lobby Whitehall for greater devolution for the capital.
The mayor makes the case for greater powers for London government in a letter sent to Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles today.
Johnson – together with co-signatories London Councils chair Jules Pipe and London Assembly chair Dee Doocey – maintain that their devolution package will result in more streamlined and efficient government, as well as savings for the taxpayers.
The mayor wants to take on the functions and resources of the Homes and Communities Agency in London, as well as those of the London Development Agency. The Olympic Park Legacy Company should be established as a mayoral development corporation, the letter says.
London Councils is demanding greater borough representation on pan-London bodies, while the London Assembly wants to see its powers strengthened, particularly its oversight of the mayor’s budget and strategies.
Johnson said: ‘Too much is controlled by Whitehall and measured by standards that don’t apply specifically to Londoners, meaning our devolution settlement has remained weak with much room for improvement, particularly where decisions should be take by those in the local communities they affect.’
Pipe added: ‘This agreement between the boroughs, the mayor and the assembly is a significant step towards shifting power and influence out to local communities. These devolutionary measures will result in decisions being made closer to the Londoners whose lives they affect.’
Doocey called the letter a ‘landmark’ proposal.
23 July 2010
London Mayor Boris Johnson has joined forces with the city’s boroughs to lobby Whitehall for greater devolution for the capital.
The mayor makes the case for greater powers for London government in a letter sent to Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles today.
Johnson – together with co-signatories London Councils chair Jules Pipe and London Assembly chair Dee Doocey – maintain that their devolution package will result in more streamlined and efficient government, as well as savings for the taxpayers.
The mayor wants to take on the functions and resources of the Homes and Communities Agency in London, as well as those of the London Development Agency. The Olympic Park Legacy Company should be established as a mayoral development corporation, the letter says.
London Councils is demanding greater borough representation on pan-London bodies, while the London Assembly wants to see its powers strengthened, particularly its oversight of the mayor’s budget and strategies.
Johnson said: ‘Too much is controlled by Whitehall and measured by standards that don’t apply specifically to Londoners, meaning our devolution settlement has remained weak with much room for improvement, particularly where decisions should be take by those in the local communities they affect.’
Pipe added: ‘This agreement between the boroughs, the mayor and the assembly is a significant step towards shifting power and influence out to local communities. These devolutionary measures will result in decisions being made closer to the Londoners whose lives they affect.’
Doocey called the letter a ‘landmark’ proposal.
