How much power does the Mayor of London actually have?

Londoners will head to the polls in just over two weeks, agonising over whether to vote for the ‘Cannabis is Safer Than Alcohol’ Party, the ‘One Love’ Party, or to play it safe with George Galloway’s ‘Respect’. But, will their vote actually make a difference?

While the mayor oversees a whopping budget of £17bn, the powers and policy levers at their disposal are not as significant as the impression given.

So, beyond being able to buy water cannons that they are not authorised to use and constructing a ‘popular’ cable car over the river, what power does the mayor actually have?

This is the area where the mayor has the most power. As Chair of TfL, the mayor is responsible for infrastructure investment, budgets and who runs the network. We wouldn’t have Boris bikes if it wasn’t for Ken (some clear legacy issues here) and the Night Tube if it wasn’t for Boris – well, when we get them. So this, Londoners, has a clear impact on your life.

(Source: Flickr)

The mayor sets the Met’s budget and holds the force to account, as well as being responsible for fire and emergency planning. However, in reality this means appointing a board to oversee these and the mayor’s role is limited to scrutinising and setting the strategic focus rather than making operational decisions. One doomed decision was the aforementioned choice by Boris to buy three water cannons from Germany for riots and the like. But, in a clear demonstration of the limits of the mayor’s powers, the Home Secretary has forbidden their use!

As housing has played such a central part in the campaign, as probably the biggest issue, you would think the mayor has wide-ranging powers that will enable the next one to solve the ‘housing crisis’. Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case. The mayor produces a housing strategy where they set out the amount, type and location of new houses in general terms. But the reality is the vast majority of housebuilding is down to local authorities and developers.

Planning decisions are matters for London’s councils. But the mayor does set London planning guidance through the London plan and has the final say on major developments – with the powers to review planning decisions made by the boroughs. What this means, in practice, is that the mayor has influence over what London’s skyline looks like and over major regeneration schemes across the Capital. So next time you are complaining that you can’t even grate your cheese on the Cheesegrater, or that your favourite bowling spot at the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre is being knocked down, remember who you voted for.

Beyond this the mayor sets strategies on issues including culture, economic development, health and the environment. But, the mayor’s competency in these areas is limited, and as we have seem with emissions, when targets are set, they are can be missed in a woeful manner.

There is one final important point, however. The Mayor of London is a figurehead, and thanks to Ken and Boris the position is that of a global statesman. The profile raising executed by our previous and current mayors have gone a long way to establishing a champion for the City who has been instrumental in promoting and protecting London on the national and global stage; ensuring the Capital retains its status as one of the best and most exciting cities in the world. For this reason, the individual is as important as the policies, if not more.

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