Greater London Authority

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The Greater London Authority ( GLA ) administers the Greater London region , i. H. the central district sui generis City of London and 32 London boroughs , which also include the central district City of Westminster . The new Managing Authority began its work on July 3, 2000 and consists of the directly elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly (the city council) with 25 members. The GLA is housed in the newly built City Hall on the south bank of the Thames , right next to Tower Bridge . The current Mayor of London is Sadiq Khan .

This authority is based on the Greater London Authority Act 1999 , which was passed by the British Parliament after a favorable referendum held on May 7, 1998 in the future area of ​​application (with a low voter turnout of 34.1% and an approval rate of 72%) .

The new organization largely replaces its predecessor, the Greater London Council (GLC). The GLC was abolished in 1986 by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , allegedly because of inefficiency, but also because the Labor Party usually had a majority. The competencies of the GLC were partly transferred to the city districts, partly directly to the central government. The trigger for the decision was probably the then GLC chairman Ken Livingstone (later Mayor from May 4, 2000 to May 4, 2008), who annoyed her with populist issues and spending on social programs. The GLA was created to improve coordination between the various city districts again. The office of Mayor of London was created to have a representative for the whole city. The Mayor sets the daily political affairs, draws up the budget and gives advice to the capital's traffic and planning authorities. The main duties of the London Assembly are overseeing the Mayor, conducting investigations, changing the budget and making proposals. Although the GLA has less power than its predecessor, the GLC, it has competencies that the GLC never had. For example, it can appoint members of the Metropolitan Police.

The GLA is not to be confused with the City of London Corporation and the Lord Mayor of London . As a district administration, these only control the City of London . While the GLA has a modern constitution, the structure of the City's political authorities has remained unchanged since the Middle Ages, giving this district unique centuries-old powers across the UK. B. the tax exemption, which theoretically cannot be challenged by the British Parliament, and the City of London Police, which is independent of Greater London .

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