Hold a referendum on removing the London Assembly and London Mayor

We believe too much power is in the hands of the London Assembly and London Mayor. We are particularly concerned about the impact of expanding the ULEZ on people who are struggling with a cost of living crisis to put food on the tables, keep kids clothed and fed while struggling to heat homes.

The Greater London Authority, office of the Mayor of London and London Assembly were established following a referendum held in Greater London on 7 May 1998 in which 72% of those voting expressed their support for proposals. The Government has no current plans to hold another referendum on the role or functions of the Greater London Authority, Mayor of London or London Assembly.

The Government believes that with the right incentives and strong accountability, directly elected mayors can provide valuable local leadership. This leads to more joined-up public services and better outcomes for local communities. A directly elected mayor is the strongest, most transparent and most accountable form of local government leadership.

As the Housing Minister made clear in the House of Commons on 20 February 2023, effective devolution requires local leaders and institutions that are transparent and accountable. This is why the Government will be publishing a devolution accountability framework later this year setting out accountability mechanisms for mayoral authorities such as the GLA. It will set out how they are scrutinised and held to account by the UK Government, local politicians and business leaders – and above all by the residents and voters of their area. This work will be supported by planned improvements to the broader local government accountability framework including the establishment of the Office for Local Government.

The expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone across London is a devolved matter and the responsibility of the Mayor of London and Transport for London.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (Hold a referendum on removing the London Assembly and London Mayor)