London Councils

Last updated

London Councils
Predecessor Association of London Authorities
London Boroughs Association
From 1 April 2000:
London Boroughs Grants Committee
Greater London Employers Association
London Housing Unit
Transport Committee for London
Formation1995
PurposeCross-party organisation representing 32 London borough councils and the City of London. Develop policy and provide London-wide services.
Headquarters59½ Southwark Street
Location
Region served
London
Chair
Georgia Gould, Labour Party
Website www.londoncouncils.gov.uk
Formerly called
Association of London Government (ALG)
London Councils main offices at 59 1/2 Southwark Street, London Borough of Southwark. 59 1/2 Southwark Street - geograph.org.uk - 617822.jpg
London Councils main offices at 59½ Southwark Street, London Borough of Southwark.

London Councils is the collective of local government in Greater London, England. It is a cross-party organisation that represents London's 32 borough councils and the City of London. It was formed in 1995 as a merger of the London Boroughs Association and the Association of London Authorities. In April 2000 it gained further functions as strategic local government in London was reorganised. London Councils is a think tank and lobbying organisation, and also provides some services directly through legislation that allows multiple local authorities to pool responsibility and funding, such as Freedom Pass. London Councils is based at 59½ Southwark Street. It is due to move to 12 Arthur Street in the City of London in 2024.

Contents

History

The Association of London Government (ALG) came out of a merger between the London Boroughs Association and the Association of London Authorities in 1995. The ALA consisted of many, mainly Labour, councils which had left the LBA in the 1980s.

To coincide with the creation of the Greater London Authority, the ALG merged with the London Boroughs Grants Committee, the Greater London Employers Association, the London Housing Unit and the Transport Committee for London on 1 April 2000.

In October 2006 it changed its name from the Association of London Government to London Councils to avoid confusion with the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Local Government Association (LGA).

Membership

The membership of London Councils comprises the 32 London borough councils, the City of London Corporation, the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime. [1]

The GLA was a member of the ALG for a period, before Mayor Ken Livingstone fell out with leading councillors and withdrew.[ citation needed ] The two organisations co-ordinate their work.

Executive and lead members

The members of the Executive Committee of London Councils is as follows: [2]

MemberPartyBorough
Cllr Georgia Gould (Chair) Labour Camden
Cllr Claire Holland (Deputy Chair) Labour Lambeth
Cllr Nesil Caliskan (Acting Deputy Chair) Labour Enfield
Cllr Elizabeth Campbell (Vice Chair) Conservative Kensington and Chelsea
Cllr Gareth Roberts (Vice Chair) Liberal Democrat Richmond upon Thames
Deputy Chris Hayward (Vice Chair)IndependentCity of London
Cllr Darren Rodwell Labour Barking and Degenham
Mayor Jason Perry Conservative Croydon
Cllr Ian Edwards Conservative Hillingdon
Cllr Jas Athwal Labour Redbridge
Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE Labour Newham
Cllr Kieron Williams Labour Southwark

Group whips

Purpose

London Councils is the collective of London local government, the 32 boroughs and the City of London Corporation. They come together through London Councils to work in collaboration to deliver their shared ambitions for London and Londoners. A Cross-party organisation, London Councils shared ambitions are agreed by the Leaders' Committee, comprising the leaders and directly elected mayors of the boroughs, and the Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee at the City of London Corporation.

It supports collaboration between boroughs as well as working as a trusted partner with central government, the Mayor of London, the voluntary and business sectors, and public sector partners such as the NHS, to achieve a better future for London and Londoners.

Its services include the Freedom Pass, Taxicard, Health Emergency Badge and a grants programme for voluntary sector organisations in London on behalf of our members and supports London Tribunals.

Leadership

Chair

The current Chair of London Councils is Cllr Georgia Gould, Labour leader of Camden London Borough Council, who replaced Peter John OBE in September 2020.

Previous chairs were:

Leaders' Committee

London Councils is run by a committee made up of all the leaders of London's borough councils and meet each month (except August) to discuss and agree policy issues of importance to Londoners and their councils. The committee is supported by a cross-party executive of twelve senior members which acts as a forum for detailed policy development. Each member of the executive holds a specific policy area portfolio. Politically, the Executive comprises councillors in proportion to the party representation on London councils.

Other committees

London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI)

The London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) was established in July 2019 in recognition of the fact that collaboration is vital for enabling boroughs to use digital, data and innovation effectively to improve the lives of their residents.

Originally formed of 15 boroughs, LOTI’s record of delivery has led to its membership growing to include 27 boroughs, the Greater London Authority and London Councils. Today, it connects more than 1,000 local government colleagues online and in person, helping them to share knowledge, build capacity, run projects and influence change together.

The LOTI community is supported by a team hosted at London Councils. Its operations are funded by through an annual subscription from borough councils and grants from the GLA, London Councils and other partners.

In order to represent the best interests of its members, LOTI is technology and supplier agnostic. It does not favour or endorse the products and services of any one company. Nor does it procure technology on behalf of London boroughs. Its purpose is help ensure local government staff are good, informed and demanding customers of the best innovation the market can provide. Specifically, LOTI helps boroughs to:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayor of London</span> Head of the government of Greater London

The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater London Authority</span> English devolved regional authority

The Greater London Authority (GLA), colloquially known by the metonym City Hall, is the devolved regional governance body of Greater London, England. It consists of two political branches: an executive Mayor and the 25-member London Assembly, which serves as a means of checks and balances on the Mayor. Since May 2016, both branches have been under the control of the London Labour Party. The authority was established in 2000, following a local referendum, and derives most of its powers from the Greater London Authority Act 1999 and the Greater London Authority Act 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London boroughs</span> Administrative subdivisions of Greater London

The London boroughs are the 32 local authority districts that together with the City of London make up the administrative area of Greater London, England; each is governed by a London borough council. The present London boroughs were all created at the same time as Greater London on 1 April 1965 by the London Government Act 1963 and are a type of local government district. Twelve were designated as Inner London boroughs and twenty as Outer London boroughs. The City of London, the historic centre, is a separate ceremonial county and sui generis local government district that functions quite differently from a London borough. However, the two counties together comprise the administrative area of Greater London as well as the London Region, all of which is also governed by the Greater London Authority, under the Mayor of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater London Council</span> English local administrative body (1965–1986)

The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 1986 by the Local Government Act 1985 and its powers were devolved to the London boroughs and other entities. A new administrative body, known as the Greater London Authority (GLA), was established in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Southwark</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Southwark in South London forms part of Inner London and is connected by bridges across the River Thames to the City of London and London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas amalgamated under the London Government Act 1963. All districts of the area are within the London postal district. It is governed by Southwark London Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Haringey</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs. Clockwise from the north, they are: Enfield, Waltham Forest, Hackney, Islington, Camden, and Barnet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Jones, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb</span> Green Party of England and Wales politician and life peer

Jennifer Helen Jones, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, is a British politician who served as Deputy Mayor of London from 2003 to 2004. A member of the Green Party of England and Wales, she was until September 2019 the sole Green Party member in the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Len Duvall</span> British politician (born 1961)

Leonard Lloyd Duvall OBE is a British Labour and Co-operative politician serving as the Leader of the Labour Group in the London Assembly since 2004, and has been the Member of the London Assembly (AM) for Greenwich and Lewisham since 2000. Duvall is a former chair of both the Metropolitan Police Authority and the London Labour Party Regional Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toby Harris, Baron Harris of Haringey</span>

Jonathan Toby Harris, Baron Harris of Haringey is a Labour Party politician in the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local government in England</span> System of state administration on a local level in England

Local government in England broadly consists of three layers: civil parishes, local authorities, and regional authorities. Every part of England is governed by at least one local authority, but parish councils and regional authorities do not exist everywhere. In addition, there are 31 police and crime commissioners, four police, fire and crime commissioners, and ten national park authorities with local government responsibilities. Local government is not standardised across the country, with the last comprehensive reform taking place in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westminster City Council</span> Local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England

Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors. The council is currently composed of 31 Labour Party members and 23 Conservative Party members. The council was created by the London Government Act 1963 and replaced three local authorities: Paddington Metropolitan Borough Council, St Marylebone Metropolitan Borough Council and Westminster Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Development Agency</span>

The London Development Agency (LDA) was from July 2000 until 2012 the regional development agency for the London region in England. A functional body of the Greater London Authority, its purpose was to drive sustainable economic growth within London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority</span> Former fire authority for Greater London

The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) was a functional body of the Greater London Authority (GLA) from 2000 to 2018. It was established with the Greater London Authority by the Greater London Authority Act 1999. It replaced the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority, on 3 July 2000. Its principal purpose was to be the strategic governance of the London Fire Brigade. The members of LFEPA were appointed annually by the Mayor of London and were nominated from the London Assembly and the London borough councils. There were two direct mayoral appointments to the authority from 2008, following the Greater London Authority Act 2007. It was abolished in April 2018 and replaced with the London Fire Commissioner, following the Policing and Crime Act 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local government in London</span>

Local government in Greater London, England takes place in two tiers; an upper tier and a lower tier. The upper tier authority is the Greater London Authority (GLA), controlled by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. The lower tier authorities are the 32 borough councils and the City of London Corporation in the City of London.

Ian Clement, was Deputy Mayor of London with responsibility for Government and External Relations. A former councillor and Leader of the London Borough of Bexley from 2006 to 2008, Clement was a member of the Conservative Party before being suspended following incidents involving financial issues both in London and Bexley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Manchester Combined Authority</span> Local government body in North West England

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is a combined authority for Greater Manchester, England. It was established on 1 April 2011 and consists of 11 members; 10 indirectly elected members, each a directly elected councillor from one of the ten metropolitan boroughs that comprise Greater Manchester, together with the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester. The authority derives most of its powers from the Local Government Act 2000 and Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, and replaced a range of single-purpose joint boards and quangos to provide a formal administrative authority for Greater Manchester for the first time since the abolition of Greater Manchester County Council in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haringey London Borough Council</span>

Haringey London Borough Council, also known as Haringey Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Haringey in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 1971. The council is usually based at Haringey Civic Centre in Wood Green, although the building has been closed since 2020 pending refurbishment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Copley</span> British Labour Co-op politician

Tom Phillip Copley is a British Labour Party and Co-operative Party politician, serving as the Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development. He served as a London wide member of the London Assembly from 2012 to 2020 and is a former councillor on Lewisham Council.

London Labour is the devolved, regional part of the Labour Party in Greater London. It is the largest political party in London, currently holding a majority of the executive mayoralties, a majority of local councils, council seats and parliamentary seats, and a plurality of assembly seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Croydon London Borough Council election</span> 2022 local election in Croydon

In the 2022 Croydon London Borough Council election, on 5 May 2022, all 70 members of Croydon London Borough Council, and the Mayor of Croydon, were up for election. The elections took place alongside the local elections in the other London boroughs and elections to local authorities across the United Kingdom. Jason Perry of the Conservative Party narrowly won the mayoral election.

References

  1. "About us | London Councils".
  2. "Executive members of London Councils" . Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  3. Bunn, Jon (5 June 2018). "Southwark leader elected London Councils chair". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  4. Porter, Toby (6 June 2018). "Southwark leader becomes chairman of London boroughs". South London News. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  5. "New name, new leader, new role for Transport Committee for London". 23 June 2000. Retrieved 5 January 2014.