The Politics of London: Governing an Ungovernable City

249 Pages·2004·1.114 MB·English

by  Tony Travers (auth.)

The world of sub-central governance and administration – including local authorities,
quasi-governmental bodies and the agencies of public–private partnerships – has seen
massive changes in the United Kingdom and other western democracies. The original
aim of the Government Beyond the Centre series was to bring the study of this often-
neglected word into the mainstream of social science research, applying the spotlight of
critical analysis to what had traditionally been the preserve of institutional public
administration approaches.
The replacement of traditional models of government by new models of governance has
affected central government, too, with the contracting out of many traditional functions,
the increasing importance of relationships with devolved and supranational authorities,
and the emergence of new holistic models based on partnership and collaboration.
This series focuses on the agenda of change in governance both at sub-central level and
in the new patterns of relationships surrounding the core executive. Its objective is to
provide up-to-date and informative accounts of the new forms of management and
administration and the structures of power and influence that are emerging, and of the
economic,political and ideological forces that underlie them.
The series will be of interest to students and practitioners in central and local
government,public management and social policy,and all those interested in the reshaping
of the governmental institutions which have a daily and major impact on our lives.
Government Beyond the Centre
Series Standing Order
ISBN 978-0–333–71696–0 hardback
ISBN 978-0–333–69337–7 paperback
(outside North America only)
You can receive future titles in this series as they are published by placing a standing
order. Please contact your bookseller or,in the case of difficulty,write to us at the address
below with your name and address,the title of the series and an ISBN quoted above.
Customer Services Department,Macmillan Distribution Ltd
Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire RG21 6XS,England
Published
Richard Batley and Gerry Stoker (eds) Lawrence Pratchett and David Wilson (eds)
Local Government in Europe Local Democracy and Local
Government
Sue Goss
Making Local Governance Work John Stewart
The Nature of British Local Government
Clive Gray
Government Beyond the Centre Gerry Stoker (ed.)
The New Management of British Local
John Gyford
Citizens,Consumers and Councils Governance
Richard Kerley Gerry Stoker (ed.)
Managing in Local Government The New Politics of British Local
Governance
Desmond King and Gerry Stoker (eds)
Rethinking Local Democracy Helen Sullivan and Chris Skelcher
Working Across Boundaries
Steve Leach,John Stewart and Kieron Walsh
The Changing Organisation and Tony Travers
Management of Local Governance The Politics of London
Arthur Midwinter David Wilson and Chris Game
Local Government in Scotland Local Government in the United
Kingdom(3rd edn)
Christopher Pollitt,Johnston Birchall and
Keith Putman Perri 6,Diana Leat,Kimberly Seltzer and
Decentralising Public Service Gerry Stoker
Management Towards Holistic Governance
Forthcoming
Bas Denters and Lawerence E. Rose (eds) Rajiv Prabhakar
Comparing Local Governance The Future of Public Services
Steve Martin Gerry Stoker
The Transformation of Public Services Transforming Local Governance
Lawrence Pratchett Gerry Stoker and David Wilson (eds)
Local Democracy in Britain British Local Government in the 2000s
The Politics of London
Governing an Ungovernable City
Tony Travers
© Tony Travers 2004
All rights reserved.No reproduction,copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced,copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988,or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,90
Tottenham Court Road,London W1P OLP.
Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted his right to be identified
as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2004 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire RG21 6XS and
175 Fifth Avenue,New York,N.Y.10010
Companies and representatives throughout the world
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave
Macmillan division of St.Martin’s Press,LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States,United Kingdom
and other countries.Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European
Union and other countries.
ISBN 978-0-333-96100-1
ISBN 978-1-4039-4013-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4039-4013-1
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully
managed and sustained forest sources.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Travers,Tony.
The politics of London:governing an ungovernable city/Tony Travers.
p.cm.—(Government beyond the centre)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. London Metropolitan Area (England)—Politics and government.
I.Title.II.Government beyond the centre (Palgrave Macmillan (Firm))
JS3625.T73 2003
320.9421—dc21 2003042951
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04
Contents
List of Tables and Figures viii
List of Abbreviations ix
Preface xi
1 London in Context 1
Size matters:why London is ‘too big’ 2
London today 5
London within the UK 8
Understanding urban governance 11
London’s new governance:steering,rowing,
drowning or waving? 18
Conclusion 20
2 The Struggle to Govern London 21
Origins 21
The Metropolitan Board of Works and local particularism 23
The London County Council and the metropolitan boroughs 25
The Greater London Council and the post-1965 boroughs 28
After abolition:the long interregnum 31
The new pragmatism 35
Docklands:a case-study in the evolution of
London politics after 1986 39
Conclusion 41
3 Metropolitan Millennium:The Road to Reform,1997–2000 43
New Labour and the legacy of the 1980s 43
Labour’s approach prior to the 1997 election 45
Labour in government:the process of reform 48
Reforms in London 51
The mayoral race begins 55
The green paper 56
From green paper to white paper 58
The referendum and the Greater London Authority Act,1999 62
v
vi Contents
Electing the mayor 68
The election 73
Conclusion 78
4 The Greater London Authority:Creating a New Institution 80
The GLA Transition Team 80
The early days of the GLA 83
The Mayor’s Office 86
Other mayoral appointments 88
The advisory cabinet 94
Mayoral commissions 95
The assembly 96
GLA officers 100
Conclusion 104
5 Capital Idea? The GLA in Practice 106
Mayoral government comes to Britain 106
The London Assembly:25 members in search of a role? 113
Separating the executive and scrutiny functions 117
The deputy mayor 120
Creating a new regional government 122
The functional bodies 126
The Budget process 132
Conclusion 134
6 Boroughs,Quangos and Partnerships:The
Wider Governance of London 137
London’s governance:the regional aspect 138
The GLA and central government 142
Boroughs and sub-regional partnerships 143
Quangos and other service agencies 146
Business in London 149
Conclusion 154
7 A Very British Mayor? 155
Who needs metropolitan government? 155
Foreign influences? 159
How does London compare? 161
Contents vii
City government overseas 164
Conclusion 180
8 Is London Ungovernable? 182
The protean city 182
An effective system? 183
The mayor and the Mayor’s Office – running the GLA 184
The mayor and the Mayor’s Office – what did the
GLA achieve? 188
The assembly 193
Implications for British government 197
Further reform? 205
The London elections of 2004 209
References 211
Index 218
List of Tables and Figures
Tables
1.1 Changes in employment within London’s region 1987–97 4
3.1 Results of election for Mayor of London,4 May 2000 76
3.2 Results of elections for London Assembly,4 May 2000 77
5.1 Greater London Authority:functional bodies,appointments,
accountability,budgets,policy and scrutiny 128
8.1 Subject matter of press notices issued by the Mayor of
London,January–September 2002 189
8.2 Subject matter of press notices issued by the Mayor of
New York,February–September 2002 189
8.3 Subject matter of press notices issued by the
London Assembly,January–September 2002 194
8.4 Subject matter of assembly reports published
during 2000,2001 and 2002 195
Figures
3.1 The GLA and the functional bodies 58
8.1 London’s Government:key statutory bodies 186
viii
List of Abbreviations
CBI Confederation of British Industry
CEBR Centre for Economics and Business Research
CLES Centre for Local Economic Strategies
DETR Department of the Environment,Transport and the Regions
DoE Department of the Environment
DTI Department of Trade and Industry
DTLR Department for Transport,Local Government
and the Regions
GLA Greater London Authority
GLATT Greater London Authority Transition Team
GLC Greater London Council
GLDP Greater London Development Plan
GOL General Office for London
ILEA Inner London Education Authority
LCC London County Council
LDA London Development Agency
LDDC London Docklands Development Corporation
LFEPA London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
LPAC London Planning Advisory Committee
MBW Metropolitan Board of Works
MPA Metropolitan Police Authority
PPP Public–Private Partnership
PSL Private Sector Leasing
QUANGO Quasi Autonomous Non-Governmental Organization
SDS Spatial Development Strategy
SERPLAN South East Regional Planning Conference
SV Supplementary Vote
TfL Transport for London
UDC Urban Development Corporation
ix