London’s devolution demands

The government has made clear its intention to prioritise and drive growth in the UK. 

A GLA Oversight Committee investigation has highlighted that further devolution in London would help to drive growth both in the capital and across the rest of the UK. 

The Committee found that the Levelling Up White Paper goes some way to acknowledging and assessing the specific challenges faced by London, but it does not provide a clear strategy to tackle these. Neither the White Paper nor the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill offer a clear position on what government expects in terms of the trajectory of growth for its capital city

Today the Committee has published a letter to the Minister for London, Paul Scully MP, which points out its recommendations in relation to fiscal devolution and further extension of powers to the London Assembly. 

The recommendations include:

• The Committee urges government to consider what form a "simplified funding settlement" would take, and to include provisions for this within the Bill.  With a single pot of funding for the Mayor of London, alongside expanded powers for the London Assembly, the Mayor could deliver positive outcomes for London more efficiently and be more effective in delivering government's strategic levelling-up priorities.
• The Committee asks for the provision in the current Bill, which gives combined authorities the power to pause and review decisions, to be extended to the London Assembly. In addition, the Committee asks to receive a forward plan from the Mayor to make this extension of powers more effective.
• The London Assembly has long called for powers to Summons information and co-operation from bodies outside the GLA group that are appointed by the Mayor or have a significant London-wide role to play in delivering his strategies, such as the London Ambulance Service and the Port of London Authority.  
• The London Assembly should be allowed to investigate important matters affecting London, beyond the Mayoralty, for example with utilities companies, such as Thames Water.

Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee, Léonie Cooper AM, said:

"Our investigation found that devolving further powers to the Mayor of London must be matched with extending the powers of the London Assembly. 

"As the country recovers from the pandemic and deals with a cost-of-living crisis, it is absolutely imperative that the government's levelling-up and devolution agenda does not ignore the capital.  

"In seeking to enhance devolution to other parts of the country, it is essential that the London picture doesn't simply become a static bar against which others are compared. 

"A clear strategic plan for London must be a key feature of any government's Levelling-up agenda and will benefit growth not just for Londoners but will also support recovery and prosperity across the whole of the country."