London independence, sometimes shortened to Londependence and Londexit, [1] refers to a belief favouring full-fledged independence for London as a city-state separate from the United Kingdom. The idea received particular attention after the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, in which the country at large voted to leave the European Union, but 60% of Londoners voted to remain, though the concept of an independent London had been discussed sporadically for some years before.
London's status within the United Kingdom has been debated for several years, with some calls for increased autonomy, [2] [3] Supporters have frequently cited Greater London's population of over 8 million people, its economic size, its global role, its diverse population and its unique challenges compared to the rest of England as reasons for greater autonomy. The idea of London becoming a city-state resurfaced during the Scottish independence referendum of 2014. [3]
The movement for either increased autonomy or full sovereignty received a boost following the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum in 2016, during which the UK as a whole voted to leave the European Union (at under 52% leave), although the majority of London voted for the UK to remain in the EU (60% remain). This led to 180,000 Londoners petitioning Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London online to seek London's independence from the UK so it could remain part of the EU. Supporters cite London's status as a "world city" and its demographic and economic differences from the rest of the United Kingdom, and argue that it should become a city-state based on the model of Singapore, while remaining an EU member state. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Spencer, Lord Livermore of the Labour Party said that London's independence "should be a goal", arguing that a Greater London city-state would have twice the GDP of Singapore. [11] Journalist Tony Travers argued that Khan would be "well within his rights to tell the government London didn't vote for Brexit and that City Hall now viewed the government as dysfunctional." Analyst Kevin Doran said that London becoming an independent state is not just possible, but inevitable "within 20 to 30 years' time." [12]
After the EU referendum vote, Peter John, the Labour Party leader of the London Borough of Southwark stated it would be a "legitimate question" for London to consider its future in the United Kingdom and the European Union. Southwark had voted 72% in favour of remaining in the EU. John also said "London would be the 15th largest EU state, bigger than Austria, Denmark and Ireland and our values are in line with Europe – outward looking, confident of our place in the world, enriched by our diversity and stronger working together with our friends and neighbours than we are alone." [13]
Labour MP for Tottenham David Lammy wrote a piece in the Evening Standard in March 2017 arguing in favour of London becoming a city state in the event of a Hard or No deal Brexit. [14]
The Londependence Party is a registered political party and first stood candidates in the May 2021 London Assembly Elections. The party gained 5,746 votes [15] on the London-wide list. This party deregistered February 2024. [16]
Two opinion polls have been carried out by the polling company YouGov on Londoners' preferred constitutional status.
Date(s) conducted | Polling organisation/client | Sample size | London Independence | London Parliament | Status Quo (London Assembly) | Abolish the Assembly | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1–6 July 2016 | YouGov/Evening Standard | 1,061 | 11% | 23% | 32% | 7% | 28% |
8–13 Oct 2014 | YouGov/Evening Standard | 5% | 30% | 30% | 6% | 29% |
A different survey of 2,001 people carried out by the firm Censuswide in September 2014 found that 19.9% of Londoners wanted the city to become independent, with support for this being highest among people aged 25–34. [17]
The idea of London independence has been criticised as unrealistic. Brian Groom of the Financial Times wrote that "it is ludicrous to think of any nation gladly waving goodbye to its capital", calling the idea of secession a "fantasy". [18]
Dr. James Ker-Lindsay, a senior research fellow at the London School of Economics who specialises in secession movements, stated with regard to a referendum on London Independence that it "seems difficult to see how any government would ever agree to such a vote." He also said if London broke away unilaterally it would not be able to join the United Nations, as its membership application would be subject to the United Kingdom's permanent veto on the United Nations Security Council. [19]
Scottish independence is the idea of Scotland regaining its independence and once again becoming a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom. The term Scottish independence refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about.
Sir Sadiq Aman Khan is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting from 2005 until 2016. A member of the Labour Party, Khan is on the party's soft left and has been ideologically characterised as a social democrat.
Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom is a continuum of belief ranging from the opposition to certain political policies of the European Union to the complete opposition to the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union. It has been a significant element in the politics of the United Kingdom (UK). A 2009 Eurobarometer survey of EU citizens showed support for membership of the EU was lowest in the United Kingdom, alongside Latvia and Hungary.
Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) provides for the possibility of an EU member state leaving the European Union "in accordance with its own constitutional requirements".
Separatism in the United Kingdom may refer to the secession of any of the countries of the United Kingdom from the union. Less significant movements for separatism exist such as Cornwall within England.
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Brexit was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.
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The 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum took place in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar on 23 June 2016. Membership of the European Union had been a topic of political debate in the United Kingdom since the country joined the European Communities in 1973. This referendum was conducted very differently from the European Communities membership referendum in 1975; a more localised and regionalised counting procedure was used, and the ballot was overseen by the Electoral Commission, a public body that did not exist at the time of the first vote. This article lists, by voting area for Great Britain and Gibraltar and by parliamentary constituency for Northern Ireland, all the results of the referendum, each ordered into national and regional sections.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link)19.9 per cent of the 2,001 people surveyed agree[d] it [London] would be better off as its own country.
This is, of course, fantasy. Unlike Scotland, London has no separatist movement.