Mayor of London

Mayor of London
Post	Mayor
Body	London
Incumbent	Sadiq Khan
Incumbentsince	9 May 2016
Department	Greater London Authority
Style	Mayor
Reports to	London Assembly
Seat	City Hall (Newham)
Appointer	Elected by supplementary vote
Termlength	Four years, renewable
Constituting instrument	Greater London Authority Act 1999
Formation	4 May 2000
First	Ken Livingstone
Deputy	Statutory Deputy Mayor of London
Salary	£152,734
Website	https://www.london.gov.uk/

Mayor of London. The Mayor of London is the directly elected executive head of the Greater London Authority (GLA), a strategic regional authority for Greater London. The position was established in 2000 following a referendum and the passage of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, which created a new governance structure for the capital. The mayor is responsible for setting strategic direction and policy across key areas such as transport, policing, economic development, and the environment, working in conjunction with the scrutinizing London Assembly.

History

The creation of the role marked a significant shift in London's governance, reintroducing a city-wide elected executive after the abolition of the Greater London Council (GLC) in 1986 by the government of Margaret Thatcher. The policy was a key manifesto commitment of the Labour Party under Tony Blair, who won the 1997 United Kingdom general election. The first election was held in 2000, resulting in the victory of independent candidate Ken Livingstone, a former leader of the GLC. The position's powers have been periodically amended, notably by the Greater London Authority Act 2007 and the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, which transferred control of the Metropolitan Police from the Home Secretary to the mayor's office via the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC).

Powers and responsibilities

The mayor's principal statutory duties encompass four key functional bodies: Transport for London (TfL), which runs the London Underground, London Buses, and regulates the city's taxi and private hire vehicle trades; the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), which oversees the Metropolitan Police Service; the London Fire Commissioner, responsible for the London Fire Brigade; and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, a planning authority. The mayor also sets the strategic planning framework through the London Plan, promotes economic development via London & Partners, and has environmental duties including air quality strategies. The mayor chairs the London Resilience Forum for emergency planning and works with the City of London Corporation and the London Councils group of boroughs.

Election process

The mayor is elected using the supplementary vote system, where voters mark a first and second preference. If no candidate secures over 50% of first-preference votes, all but the top two candidates are eliminated, and their second-preference votes are redistributed. Elections are held every four years, typically coinciding with London Assembly elections. Candidates must be at least 18 years old, a citizen of the United Kingdom, European Union, or Commonwealth, and be registered to vote in London. The nomination process requires signatures from 330 electors, with ten from each of London's 32 boroughs and the City of London. The Electoral Commission regulates campaign spending, and the count is administered by the Greater London Returning Officer.

List of mayors

Since the office's inception, there have been three individuals serving in the role. Ken Livingstone served two terms from 2000 to 2008, initially as an independent before re-joining the Labour Party. He was defeated in the 2008 election by Boris Johnson of the Conservative Party, who served two terms until 2016. The current mayor, Sadiq Khan, also of the Labour Party, was elected in the 2016 election, won re-election in 2021, and secured a historic third term in the 2024 election. Other notable candidates over the years have included Steven Norris, Brian Paddick, Siân Berry, and Zac Goldsmith.

Office and staff

The mayor's main office is located at City Hall, which moved from Southwark to the Royal Docks in Newham in 2022. The mayor is supported by a permanent bureaucracy, the Greater London Authority (GLA) staff, led by the GLA Chief Officer. The mayor appoints a Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and several other political deputies, such as for transport, housing, and environment, who are not members of the London Assembly. The mayor's official engagements and communications are managed by the office, which also prepares the annual GLA budget for approval by the Assembly. The mayor regularly appears before the Assembly at Mayor's Question Time.

Criticism and controversies

The office has faced various criticisms, including concerns over the concentration of power in a single individual and tensions with the national government, particularly over funding for projects like Crossrail and TfL finances. The COVID-19 pandemic in London highlighted policy clashes on issues such as lockdown measures and financial support. Specific controversies have included the Garden Bridge project under Boris Johnson, the Silvertown Tunnel decision under Sadiq Khan, and debates over the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion. The mayor's role in policing has also drawn scrutiny, especially following events like the 2011 England riots and protests by groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.

Category:Mayors of London Category:Greater London Authority Category:Local government in London Category:Directly elected mayors in England