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| Greater London Authority elections | |
|---|---|
| Name | Greater London Authority elections |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Type | Combined authority elections |
| Established | 2000 |
| Frequency | Quadrennennial (2000–2012), Quinquennium (2016–present) |
| Seats | Greater London Authority; Mayor of London; London Assembly |
| Voting system | Supplementary Vote; Additional Member System |
| Electorate | Residents of Greater London |
Greater London Authority elections The Greater London Authority elections select the executive and legislature of the Greater London Authority through simultaneous contests for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. Established after the 1998 Greater London Authority referendum and creation by the Greater London Authority Act 1999, these elections have been contested by parties such as the Conservative Party (UK), Labour Party (UK), Liberal Democrats (UK), Green Party of England and Wales, and a range of independents and minor parties including UK Independence Party and Reform UK. Results have influenced policy debates involving figures like Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson, Sadiq Khan, and institutions including Transport for London and Metropolitan Police Service.
The elections take place across the 32 London boroughs and the City of London for the Assembly and citywide for the Mayor, combining local geography with pan-London politics. They occur on the same day as other polls at times, aligning with schedules set by the Electoral Commission (United Kingdom) and statutory instruments from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Turnout levels have varied, influenced by national contests such as the 2010 United Kingdom general election and events like the 2012 London Olympics. High-profile campaigns have involved media outlets including the BBC and ITV and civic groups such as the Greater London Authority’s community engagement teams.
The Mayor is elected using the Supplementary Vote introduced for mayoral contests in the Local Government Act 2000 context, permitting first and second preference markings; if no candidate receives over 50% of first preferences, all but the top two are eliminated and second preferences redistributed. The Assembly uses the Additional Member System combining 14 constituency members from single-member constituencies aligned with borough groupings and 11 London-wide members from party lists, subject to an electoral threshold and allocation methods like the D'Hondt method. The administration of ballots, postal voting, and proxy arrangements is governed by the Representation of the People Act 1983 and subsequent amendments, and candidate nomination is regulated by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 and local returning officers such as those appointed in City of London Corporation.
Elections fill the office of the Mayor, a directly elected position with executive powers over bodies such as Transport for London and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime responsibilities, and the London Assembly, which performs scrutiny functions and holds budgetary oversight. Assembly members represent constituencies like Barnet and Camden constituency and regions akin to South West constituency (London Assembly), while prominent officeholders have included Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson, and Sadiq Khan. The Mayor appoints a Deputy Mayor of London and oversees appointments to advisory bodies including the London Legacy Development Corporation.
The inaugural election in 2000 followed the 1998 Greater London Authority referendum, returning Ken Livingstone as the first Mayor. Subsequent contests in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2021 featured shifting fortunes for Labour Party (UK), Conservative Party (UK), and third parties like Liberal Democrats (UK), Green Party of England and Wales, and UK Independence Party. The 2008 United Kingdom local elections saw Boris Johnson unseat Ken Livingstone; the 2016 United Kingdom local elections and the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum context influenced the same-year contest. Notable Assembly leaders have included Shoreditch-based politicians and chairs such as Jenny Jones (Green politician), while changes in party list allocations have reflected trends explored by political scientists at institutions like London School of Economics and University College London. Results have impacted policies on transport fares, housing strategies involving entities like the Homes and Communities Agency, and policing priorities coordinated with the Metropolitan Police Service.
Eligible electors include residents registered under rules in the Representation of the People Act 1983, such as British, Irish, qualifying Commonwealth citizens, and citizens of the Republic of Ireland and European Union citizens resident prior to changes from the Withdrawal Agreement Act 2020. Registration is managed by local electoral registration officers in each borough, coordinated with the Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)’s national register. Deadlines for postal and proxy applications follow provisions in regulations such as the Electoral Administration Act 2006 and emergency provisions exercised during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom which affected the 2021 United Kingdom local elections.
Campaigning spans borough-level canvassing, London-wide advertising, hustings at venues like the Royal Festival Hall, and media engagement with outlets including the Evening Standard and London Live. Major parties such as Labour Party (UK) and Conservative Party (UK) deploy national figures including Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak in endorsement roles, while local figures from borough councils like Hackney London Borough Council and Southwark London Borough Council also feature. Candidate nomination requires signatures and deposits, regulated by returning officers; notable independent campaigns have included figures like Sadiq Khan prior to party nominations and personalities from civic movements like London Citizens.
Returning officers for each borough, often the chief executive or designated official, operate under guidelines from the Electoral Commission (United Kingdom) and the Cabinet Office for security and contingency planning. Polling stations are located in schools, community centres, and parish halls across places like Hackney and Greenwich, while vote counting uses verification processes and chain-of-custody protocols. Allegations of malpractice have been investigated by bodies such as the Crown Prosecution Service and procedures for electoral petitions are heard in courts including the High Court of Justice; election finance is monitored under rules enforced by the Electoral Commission (United Kingdom), with sanctions applicable under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.