Following a manifesto commitment in the 1997 General Election, Tony Blair’s first term saw a referendum to determine whether a new layer of local government – the Greater London Authority – should be established.
The referendum was held on 7th May 1998 to coincide with the local goverment elections. The single question posed was:
“Are you in favour of the government’s proposals for a Greater London Authority, made up of an elected Mayor and a separately elected assembly?”
Turnout was low, just over a third of eligible voters participated. The result was:
| Response | Votes | Share |
| Yes | 1,230,715 | 72% |
| No | 478,413 | 28% |
