Sir Trevor Phillips podcast discusses Livingstone Mayoralty and the first Assembly meeting
In its 25th Anniversary year, the London Assembly has today released a video and podcast recorded with the first Chair of the London Assembly, Sir Trevor Phillips OBE. In the podcast, recorded in November 2025, Sir Trevor discusses his time on the Assembly and why the scrutiny body is so important for Londoners.
The Assembly has scrutinised all three Mayors of London, on behalf of Londoners, since it was formally launched in July 2000.
During the podcast, Sir Trevor comments on:
- How the first Assembly meeting was an ‘extraordinary moment’
- How the bumpy relationship between the Assembly and Mayors of London is necessary and important
- The difference between being an elected politician and a journalist who covers politics
- The importance of disputation and contestation in politics
Lord Duvall of Woolwich OBE AM, Chair of the London Assembly, who conducted the interview, said:
“Speaking to those who have shaped the London Assembly over the past 25 years has been enlightening.
“Having been an Assembly Member since its inception, I believe this series of podcasts is an important way to remember how scrutiny influences the thinking of a Mayor of London.
“Sir Trevor Phillips explains why the London Assembly has been so effective in its role for the past 25 years and speaks fondly of the Ken Livingstone Mayoralty.
“I am confident that the Assembly will continue to seek out and voice the issues that matter most to Londoners for the next 25 years.
Notes to editors
- The Podcast can be found here and here.
- Further London Assembly podcasts with influential people from the past 25 years will be released in due course. Plans are in train to capture similar reflections on the administrations of former Mayor Ken Livingstone and current Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
- The Greater London Authority (GLA) was established on July 3rd, 2000, following a local referendum. It consists of two political branches: the executive mayoralty and the London Assembly, a 25-member cross party body tasked with holding the Mayor to account.
For more details, please contact Alison Bell on 07887 832 918 or at [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer.