Anthony Browne’s comments were made in an article for Public Servant magazine and come after Mayor Johnson last month set out a wide ranging vision for greater powers for the Mayor and London Assembly.
Browne says the role of Mayor “is appreciated by Londoners” but warns devolution to the capital “is half-baked” – a situation he blames on “Tony Blair being wary of who the first incumbent might be.”
Setting out a number of transport areas where the Mayor could make a difference, including development of river services and suburban rail services, Browne notes that the final say rests with bodies and politicians outside the Greater London Authority.
He also says the Johnson administration is not interested in a “vast land-grab…instead, we want to improve the standard of governance in London by having more devolution from central government, giving clearer accountability at the London level.”
The full article can be read at publicservice.co.uk
