London’s local and regional governments are drawing up a shopping list of powers they hope to persuade the next Government to give away.
The London Government Chronicle reports that City Hall and London’s 32 local councils are working together on a new “London settlement” including at least some fiscal devolution and greater freedom to plan and shape public services.
Both tiers would gain under the proposals, with Mayor Boris Johnson and his successors becoming responsible for pan-London services while councils would have primacy for delivering local services such as housing.
The LGC reports that the plan also includes “a means for boroughs to answer to the mayor and the London Assembly on devolved matters.”
In an article for the paper, Mr Johnson and Jules Pipe, mayor of Hackney LBC and chair of London Councils, say London needs “a settlement that allows us, together, to integrate local public services in a way that helps us to manage a period of sharply reducing public resources.”
They add: “We need the scope to be able to focus on cost-effective prevention of social and economic problems rather than paying for expensive failure.”
