Chair of the London Assembly – Len Duvall OBE

At its Annual Meeting in May, the London Assembly elects one of its Members as Chair and another Member as its Deputy Chair. They each serve a one-year term. The Chair plays a crucial role in the procedural operation of Assembly business including chairing Mayor’s Question Time (MQT) and Plenary sessions of the whole Assembly. The Chair ensures fair, efficient and timely transaction of business at the meetings, decides the order of business and the order in which Members will be called to speak and takes other decisions in relation to the running of those meetings.

The Chair also represents the London Assembly at internal and external events such as Holocaust Memorial Day and Remembrance Service. The Chair promotes the role and work of the London Assembly through social media channels, media interviews and engagement with stakeholders, including Londoners.

The Chair holds this role alongside their day-to-day role of representing Londoners and their committee responsibilities.

Biography

Len was elected as London Assembly Member for Greenwich and Lewisham in 2000, retaining his seat in every subsequent election.  

Len has been leader of the Labour Group at City Hall since 2004 and is the longest serving Assembly Member, having attended the inaugural meeting of the Assembly in 2000.

With over twenty years at City Hall, his priorities have included better resourcing for the Metropolitan Police, better transport for south-east London and, most recently, efforts to address cost of living as chair of the Assembly’s Cost of Living Working Group. Len is a vocal champion for the armed forces and has been the Mayor’s Armed Forces Champion for the past five years.

He has also campaigned on the Daniel Morgan case, ensuring the legacy of the Olympics serves all Londoners and exposing former Mayor Johnson’s improper relationship with Jennifer Arcuri. At the local level, Len has campaigned for regeneration and renewal projects at the Thames Gateway and Greenwich Waterfront.

Len is involved in a number of local charities. He is chair of the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust, chair of the South London Special League and a trustee of the Society of the Friends of the Royal Artillery Museum. 

 Prior to his time on the Assembly, he was a long-standing Greenwich councillor and served as leader of the council from 1992-2000. In 1998, he was awarded an OBE for his contribution to London Local Government.

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