Back in 2000, when the institutions of Mayor and London Assembly were created (after the Conservatives abolished London Government in the late 80s) everyone assumed that they would be fairly irrelevant with few real powers, a glorified local authority. The fact that it has become mush more important than that, and therefore why the election matters, is entirely down to the candidate I am supporting, Ken Livingstone. He has been extraordinarily successful in raising the profile of the Mayor, gaining extensive extra powers, and cajoling central government into giving London a great deal of extra money. A lesser political operator could not have achieved this. With these extra powers and funds he has done enormous amount; here’s a brief and partial list.
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