City of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002

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City of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002
Act of Parliament
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (variant 1, 1952-2022).svg
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title An Act to make further provision with respect to the qualification of voters at ward elections in the city of London; and for connected purposes.
Citation 2002 c. vi
Introduced by Peter Brooke MP (Commons)
Lord Jenkin of Roding (Lords)
Dates
Royal assent 7 November 2002
Text of statute as originally enacted

The City of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002 (c. vi) was a local act passed by the United Kingdom Parliament on 7 November 2002. [1] Whereas throughout the rest of the United Kingdom the business vote had been abolished, in the City of London this act not only retained it but greatly increased it, so that it came to outnumber the residential vote. [2]

Contents

When the legislation was passed, the franchise was extended to 32,500 businesses compared to 6,000 resident electors. [3]

Historical background

The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 was part of the reform programme brought in by the Whigs and following Reform Act 1832. While the latter had abolished most of the rotten boroughs for parliamentary purposes, the 1835 act applied the similar reforms in terms of local government to 178 boroughs. Over the next fifty years various unreformed boroughs were affected by successive pieces of legislation. However, none of these affected the City of London Corporation. [4] When the local government of London was reorganised by the London Government Act 1899, the City of London was again excluded. Likewise, the City of London was unaffected by the London Government Act 1963. [5]

Criticism

The legislation was criticised by Labour MP, John McDonnell, for being undemocratic. [6]

References

  1. ↑ "City of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002". www.legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  2. ↑ Leaver, Adam. "Banking's groundhog day". www.redpepper.org.uk. Red Pepper. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "CITY ELECTIONS BILL NODDED THROUGH". Local Government Chronicle. 30 October 2002. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  4. ↑ Morrison, James (2013). Essential Public Affairs for Journalists. OUP Oxford. ISBN   9780199663859 . Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  5. ↑ Priddy, Sarah. "Local government reform" (PDF). researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  6. ↑ "CITY SLAMMED FOR VOTE EXTENSION BID". Local Government Chronicle. 19 May 2000. Archived from the original on 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
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