Comments on: Conservative government could scrap London Assembly

By: Bugger Lugs

Bugger Lugs — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:04:22 +0000

Nice one GeoffM

I agree as a Scots Independist

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:15:41 +0000

Here is a solution: Allow voters to vote BOROUGH by BOROUGH whether to be part of the GLA or not.

Those boroughs that vote to be part of the GLA get an LAM, pay the precept and have their roads run by TFL and those of us who don’t want to be in the GLA will leave you alone.

I imagine the split would be pretty much along party lines: Labour boroughs in; Tory boroughs out.

By: GeoffM

GeoffM — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:24:40 +0000

Well the Scots, Northern Irish, Welsh and largely migrant Londoners have a measure of self rule.

The ONLY people who do not have this are the English of the Shires – the majority.

It is right that the GLA is scrapped and Scotland/Wales are given independence. Ireland should, of course, be reunited.

Only in that way will the English regain control over their own destiny and the whole multicultural, marxist madness be brought to an end.

By: The Qureshi Report » BACK TO THE EIGHTIES: UB40s FOR AMs?

The Qureshi Report » BACK TO THE EIGHTIES: UB40s FOR AMs? — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:17:24 +0000

[...] Tribune last week, l was intrigued to see that I could soon be out of a job (“Conservative government could scrap London Assembly”, October 16). According to ConservativeHome, in the event of a Tory victory in next year’s [...]

By: Nick (in the naughty corner)

Nick (in the naughty corner) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:07:05 +0000

Andrew Boff is bang on the money here. That there might also be possible savings elsewhere from joint working by boroughs on back office functions does not alter it one iota. Let’s do both and reduce the burden on council tax payers.

As for a ‘london wide view’ and trading support in return for funding for pet projects, if past experience allows the finger to be pointed on that front then it is at members of minority parties elected through the PR top up list back in the dark days of the Livingstone era. The suggestion that pork barrel politics only ever arises along geographical lines and has never made its way into City Hall is patently absurd.

By: Young

Young — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:56:50 +0000

The London Assembly may only be scrapped if there is an English Parliament/Assembly to replace it. Democracy must be realised.

By: Claudius

Claudius — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:33:41 +0000

@Herbert Morrison

So those GLA members with constituency seats take a “pan London” view at the moment then?

By: Herbert Morrison

Herbert Morrison — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:00:39 +0000

Swapping the London Assembly for a Leader’s Council is intellectually incoherent. Borough leaders have parochial interests and don’t take a Pan-London view. They have also signed the City Charter to deliver a joint programme of work with the Mayor – how could they then scrutinise and audit the delivery of those policies? Borough leaders would also trade local pet projects for Mayoral support, so bringing pork barrel politics into the heart of London governance. The big savings in London government are to be made from merging borough services. Despite years of promises boroughs continue to resist the massive savings that would come from jojnt provision of waste collection, parking enforcement as well as the backroom services of HR, payroll, legal etc…

By: Andrew boff

Andrew boff — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:36:01 +0000

This shouldn’t be an issue which divides people along party lines. It’s just common sense to get rid of a layer that can easily be replicated by existing authorities at a fraction of the cost.

By: James Hulme

James Hulme — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:31:02 +0000

I proposed the idea in a pamphlet last year:

http://www.nlgn.org.uk/public/wp-
content/uploads/glad-to-be-gla.pdf

There are strong arguments towards empowering London borough leaders to be given a greater scrutiny role over the Mayor, but reform should also include insisting that the Mayor’s budget has to be approved by a majority of both outer and inner London leaders.