Greater London Authority

Greater London Authority
Type
Type
Devolved
regional governance body
of London
Term limits
None
History
Founded3 July 2000
Preceded byGreater London Council (1965–1986)
Leadership
Executive

Mayor of LondonSadiq Khan, Labour
Since 9 May 2016
Statutory Deputy MayorJoanne McCartney, Labour
Since 9 May 2016
London Assembly

ChairAndrew Boff, Conservative Party
Since May 2023
Deputy ChairLen Duvall, Labour
Since May 2024
Mayoral group leaderLen Duvall, Labour
Since 9 May 2016
Paid Service

Chief OfficerMary Harpley
Since 29 May 2018
Structure
Seats1 mayor and 25 assembly members (AMs)
Length of term
Four years
Elections
Mayor of London voting system
First past the post
London Assembly voting system
Additional member
Last Mayor of London election
2 May 2024
Last London Assembly election
2 May 2024
Next Mayor of London election
4 May 2028
Next London Assembly election
4 May 2028
Meeting place
City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London, E16 1ZE
Website
www.london.gov.uk Edit this at Wikidata

The Greater London Authority (GLA), colloquially known by the metonym City Hall, is the devolved regional governance body of Greater London, England. It consists of two political branches: an executive Mayor (currently Sadiq Khan) and the 25-member London Assembly, which serves as a means of checks and balances on the Mayor. Since May 2016, both branches have been under the control of the London Labour Party. The authority was established in 2000, following a local referendum, and derives most of its powers from the Greater London Authority Act 1999 and the Greater London Authority Act 2007.

It is a strategic regional authority, with powers over transport, policing, economic development, and fire and emergency planning. Three functional bodies—Transport for London, the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, and the London Fire Commissioner—are responsible for delivery of services in these areas. The planning policies of the Mayor of London are detailed in a statutory London Plan which is regularly updated and published.

The Greater London Authority is mostly funded by direct government grant and it is also a precepting authority, with some money collected with local Council Tax. The GLA is unique in the British devolved and local government system, in terms of structure (it uses a presidential system-esque model), elections and selection of powers. The authority was established to replace a range of joint boards and quangos and provided an elected upper tier of local government in Greater London for the first time since the abolition of the Greater London Council in 1986.