Over its long history, London has had a variety of different
forms of government.
The London County Council (LCC)
The LCC was the first city-wide form of government in London. It
was created in 1889 and had authority over education, city planning
and council housing.
It had responsibility for ‘The County of London’ which roughly
corresponds to today’s inner London boroughs: Camden, the City of
London, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington,
Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower
Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster.
The County of London was divided into 28 metropolitan boroughs
and the City of London.
The Greater London Council (GLC)
London was expanded in 1963 and the 28 metropolitan boroughs
were merged into 12 – making up inner London – while 20 more were
added to form the outer London area (the City of London remained
separate from the boroughs).
At the same time the GLC was created to replace the LCC and its
first members were elected in 1965. The GLC was responsible for
many of the same services that the GLA is today, including fire
services, emergency planning, waste disposal and flood prevention.
The London boroughs took responsibility for environmental services,
consumer protection, personal social services and libraries and
swimming pools.
Responsibility for some services – including roads, housing,
planning and leisure – was shared between the GLC and the London
boroughs. Outer London boroughs took responsibility for education
in their borough. In inner London, the Inner London Education
Authority was set up.
In 1986 the government abolished the GLC.
After the GLC
Between 1986 and 2000 London was the only major city in the
world without a centrally managed government with city-wide powers.
Responsibility for the services that had been provided by the GLC
was divided between central government, the London boroughs, the
City of London and a new set of London-wide bodies.
The Greater London Authority
In 1997, the newly elected government set out its proposal to
reinstate a London-wide authority. The proposed model for a
directly elected Mayor and London Assembly with city-wide
responsibility was based on American cities.
In May 1998 a referendum was held. On a turnout of 34% of
Londoners, 72% voted in favour of the proposal and the Greater
London Authority Act 1999 passed through Parliament and received
Royal Assent in October 1999. The first Mayoral and London Assembly
elections were held in May 2000 and the GLA as it is known today
officially started work on 3 July 2000.