Mayor of London

The Mayor of London forms an integral part of London Government. This post was created in 2000. The Mayor is directly elected by the Londoners. The present Mayor of London is Ken Livingstone.

The Mayor of London plays a very important role in the political scenario of the city. This post was created in 2000. The Mayor is elected by the people of London. He or she serves the post for four years. Though the Mayor has certain powers, he must consult the Londoners before implementing his decision. The present Mayor of London is Ken Livingstone.

Responsibilities of the London Mayor:

The major responsibility of the Mayor of London is to boost social and economic development. The Mayor is responsible for promoting equal opportunities for all. He also promotes the development of tourism and culture. Some of his responsibilities are also related towards the growth of tourism in and around the Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square. Some of the other areas of responsibility of London Mayor include economic regeneration, health, transport, solving environmental issues such as waste disposal, controlling noise pollution, biodiversity and so on. He can adopt any policy for the overall development of the city.

People Appointed by the London Mayor:

Mayor of London is also the chairman as well as the

appointing officer of the members of the board of Transport for London. He is the one to appoint the members of the London Development Agency as well. The Mayor is supposed to develop some cultural strategies related to performing arts, sports, architecture and so on. He also appoints the Deputy Mayor of London Assembly.

He has appointed a Cultural Strategy Group to help him in developing his social and economic strategies. Some of the members of the Fire and Police Authorities are nominated by the London Assembly and appointed by the Mayor. The Advisory Cabinet which helps the Mayor to develop the policies has also been set up by the Mayor himself. The members of this cabinet are chosen irrespective of their class, race and gender.

Budgets Set by The London Mayor:

The annual budgets for the following departments are set by the London Mayor:

• Fire Brigade of London
• The London Development Agency
• Transport for London
• The Metropolitan Police
• The Greater London Authority

The Mayor also sets some policies under “The London Plan”. He plans a strategy for the overall development of the city.