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Boris Johnson to get 'superpowers' if Tories win election
Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor30 Apr 2010
Boris Johnson is set to be handed sweeping powers if the Tories win the general election, the Standard has learned.
His new remit would put him on course to be the world's second most powerful mayor after New York's Michael Bloomberg.
Mr Johnson could be the beneficiary of the biggest devolution of power to the capital since the Greater London Authority was created a decade ago.
The Mayor would be responsible for a £16 billion budget for areas including the capital's transport network, policing and economic regeneration. He would also take control of housing, the Olympic legacy, the Thames and the Royal Parks from central government.
Mr Bloomberg has a £33 billion budget and runs all New York's public services while the Mayor of Paris, Bernard Delanoe, has powers over transport, planning, housing and primary schools with a budget of £6 billion.
The policy paper proposals could be in David Cameron's first Queen's Speech as part of a devolution Bill, which might also hand more power to Scotland and Wales.
Tory policy chief Oliver Letwin and Mr Johnson's head of policy Anthony Browne have spent months thrashing out the details, which have now been signed off by the
party leader.
The plans are at an early stage and could eventually include replacing the Metropolitan Police Authority with an executive reporting directly to the Mayor and scrutiny by the London Assembly. The new powers would significantly impact upon Londoners but were not included in the Tory manifesto. Former mayor Ken Livingstone today welcomed the proposals but said the Tories should have gone further by devolving financial powers.
He said: “Clearly any devolution of more powers to the Mayor is welcome. But unless the Mayor has some independence financially they're still really in hock to the Government as that's where the majority of the Mayor's budget comes from.
“It's sad that they haven't given the Mayor power to run recycling because London has the worst record in Britain.”
Mr Johnson would face the prospect of deep cuts in his new transport and housing budgets as a future Tory government struggled to reduce the deficit.
Tony Blair first devolved power to London in 2000 when he set up the GLA and Mr Livingstone was elected.
Commentators felt he would have handed over additional responsibilities if he had more faith in the first occupant of City Hall. Mr Johnson was elected with more than one million votes, the largest personal mandate of any politician in British history.
Shadow London minister Justine Greening said: “An important part of our Big Society agenda is to give more power to locally-elected representatives of the people. So we have been discussing very carefully with the Mayor's office what additional powers could usefully be transferred from central government to the Mayor.
This paper is the product of these discussions and will be implemented by a Conservative government.” The Tories have said they would abolish the Government Office for London, currently headed by Tessa Jowell.
Reader views (29)
SWurely before Boris is given more powers he should actually start by doing the job for which he was elected on promises like Chairing the MPA.
All this shows is how alike Dave and Boris are is trying to avoid actually doing anything that resemblems work!!
Wonder what would happen if this came to pass and Ken was re-elected in 2012 with all these powers in the hands of someone who knows and understands how to use them!
As for powers over commuter railways their will then be tension between lines that operate solely in London with calls for services like the tube and the effect this would have on longer distance services from outside London which also share the same tracks.
The Mayor also needs to be given full control over fares in London but given the way he gave into rail companies when Oyster was extended recently and the fact that most South West Train Stations still dont sell or allow top up of Oyster what use if giving powers to someone like Boris who cant even enforce his current powers?
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 03/05/2010 16:40
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we are alarmed at the reports that Boris Johnson will be given 'superpowers' should the conservatives be elected. It would appear that these superpowers would include increasing his control over the River Thames and its estuary. We find this extremely worrying as the London Mayor has shown a complete disregard for the estuary and its wildlife by raising the spectre of an estuary airport. We are also gravely concerned about the inplications of these 'superpowers' regarding a new Lower Thames crossing. It would be difficult to site a crossing downstream of Gravesend without substantial direct landtake from the Thames Estuary and Marshes Special Protection Area (SPA). It would damage our important internationally protected bird sites. We are rightly proud of our globally important natural heritage here in Kent and must protect it.
- Friends of the North Kent Marshes, North Kent, 03/05/2010 14:45
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Lib Dems ARE now only 3% from getting largest % of votes in UK on may 6th... according to two polls tonight ICM and YOUGOV !
Both highly respected..
3 days to go and a 3% swing from CONS and Lib Dems are the largest PARTY in UK come May 6th..
- AustinK, ESPOM, 02/05/2010 23:42
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I find it frightening , when I read some of the inane and completely irrlevant comments on these pages, that these people actually have the vote, and in turn a say in our future government.
- E Sullivan, London, 02/05/2010 16:20
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It just had to happen,Boris and Cameron are related through William II,come on everybody knows this.
- Davey_bouy, Chertsey, 01/05/2010 18:35
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Reading all your comments, which are extremely valuable in the debate, I will still vote for Clegg and I shall tell you why (moving away, which many of you have done, from the headline story). I believe him. End of. Boris is an embarrassment, remove - most of the Tories are the same, upper class education without the clout to make the real difference...why not? Labour..Too silly really, not able to produce after 13 years (for God's sake). The Clegg story is fantastic.
- Rod, Epping, UK, 01/05/2010 17:16
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What difference will it make? He's never done a days work in his life anyway.
- Blobby Johnson's blubbery belly, Oval, 01/05/2010 16:06
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Contrary to popular belief, us Northerners love our capital city, and proclaim it to be the best in the World.
London is a truly amazing city and a capital of which we are all proud. Leeds is pretty good too. Londoners generally are also proud Brits, just like us. I think we both share the common belief that the Tories and Cameron do not represent us. But do not worry, and I'm sure you won't, but we in Leeds think that London is a very special place. Vote Labour or Lib Dems and not for inherited Toff types. Good luck London and I look forward to volunteering to help for the Olympics 2012.
- Pete, Leeds, UK, 30/04/2010 21:57
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Ken Livingstone tried to get his mitts on the Royal Parks and failed. Boris will also fail as the Parks form part of the Crown Estate which manages them. It would take an Act of Parliament to change this. Can't see the Crown Estate ever letting the Parks go!
- Diana Johnson, London, UK, 30/04/2010 16:05
If Cameron wins Diana; he can create an act of parliament for Boris?
- mickinlondon, london, 30/04/2010 16:43
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Mick
Absence makes the memory grow fonder. Unfortunately I remember the old situation before BT when the nationalised industries cost us a fortune and you had to wait 6 or 12 months to get a phone installed unless you bribed the telephone engineers in which case the phone was installed later that day.
- Stephen C, London, 30/04/2010 15:21
Yes absence does make the memory grow fonder, Stephen; once it cost only me two old pence to call anyone in England, for as long as I wanted etc.
The operator and directory inquires were also free, I also liked those old phones that had a beautiful ringing tone, and in beautiful colours including black; and I liked the letters in front of the number etc, you could tell what district you were calling without going through the telephone directory.
Funny enough Stephen; most Londoners were very poor then; but they were friendly and happy with their lot, even the politicians like Attlee were honest.
- mickinlondon, london, 30/04/2010 16:39
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so that's it Mick,
you claim it was revenge on Ken because the right decision was made?
what a peculiar and oddly irrelevant point of view.
- scotty, london, 30/04/2010 14:46
If it was the right decision, Scotty; why do we now have the GLA as a replacement for the GLC?
- mickinlondon, london, 30/04/2010 16:28
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Stephen C, London
You now pay more the phone service than you ever did because you are still paying for the benefits to all the people who were laid off when the service became private - and a monopoly for long time. The service was lousy because there was no investment but plenty of tax breaks for found for private "investors" who set about making redundancies. Incedentally when we needed a phone because my mother was ill, it was installed the next day as an emergency with no backhanders.
- Andy Taylor, London, 30/04/2010 16:19
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Ken Livingstone tried to get his mitts on the Royal Parks and failed. Boris will also fail as the Parks form part of the Crown Estate which manages them. It would take an Act of Parliament to change this. Can't see the Crown Estate ever letting the Parks go!
- Diana Johnson, London, UK, 30/04/2010 16:05
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More power to the clown. Thanks, but no thanks.
- No More Muppets, London, EU, 30/04/2010 15:45
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Boris should never be given that much power. He walks on the wild side at the best of times and I say that as someone who voted for him.
- Peter, London, 30/04/2010 15:44
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@ Nikki, London
RE: Mad cows!
Yeah I do remember the low points of the Tories way back in the 80s, I also remember the many low points of Labour before that; but more relevantly the many Labour low points far more recently. ie: the last 13 years.
- Frank, Home Counties, England, 30/04/2010 15:33
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Mick
Absence makes the memory grow fonder. Unfortunately I remember the old situation before BT when the nationalised industries cost us a fortune and you had to wait 6 or 12 months to get a phone installed unless you bribed the telephone engineers in which case the phone was installed later that day.
- Stephen C, London, 30/04/2010 15:21
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so that's it Mick,
you claim it was revenge on Ken because the right decision was made?
what a peculiar and oddly irrelevant point of view.
- scotty, london, 30/04/2010 14:46
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Will the superpowers include X-ray vision and the ability to fly?
- ForFS, London England, 30/04/2010 14:05
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I am willing to stand for Mayor of London.
My first agenda will be; to take control of all utility company supplies to the people of London; in the London Area; and resupply utility services to all the people of London; on a non- profit bases etc; this will mean cheap power supplies as a service to Londoners.
When you think of all the possibilities of the power the Mayor could wield for Londoners; the sky is the limit.
Vote for me; and I will get you all cheap gas, electric, and phones, at no cost to the taxpayer at all.
Over to you Boris; match that if you can?
- mickinlondon, london, 30/04/2010 13:46
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Revenge on Red Ken? Is that what you call dismantling a fraught and corrupt institution?
C'mon Mick, Red Ken got the bullet for reasons of natural justice not revenge.
Revenge? I'm still trying to digest that most fanciful of lies with no end in sight.
- scotty, london, 30/04/2010 12:12
I point out, Scotty; that the GLC under Ken Livingstone was the same corrupt institution [your words] as that same institution that was run prior to Red Ken, by Sir Desmond Plummer and Sir Horace Walter Cutler etc.
Thatcher was pro GLC then?
So Red Ken was a victim of the Iron Cow, or was it the Iron Maiden, a form of torture machine in old England’s Castles of the realm; which-ever one you chose the result is the same in my opinion.
Like your good self; I am trying to digest the truth, with no end to the lies in sight?
Happy May day; Scotty....from Harold Wilson?
- mickinlondon, london, 30/04/2010 13:28
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Good news lets also have all the tax money that is collected from people working in London, staying in London. Can you imagine the furore, one suspects most of the country would be in penury without us generous Londoners.
- Leonard Lillywhites, Tottenham, 30/04/2010 13:27
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I'd be more impressed if he wasn't a cyclist.
- BJ, East London, 30/04/2010 13:19
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My concern is that we will suffer from a lack of local consultation before implementation of plans if Boris becomes a Super Mayor.
- Linda, London, 30/04/2010 13:05
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Tories....remember...CJD mad cow disease where they took the decisions in 'good faith' and poisoned the people.....and why dont they bring back ...Dame Shirley Porter? She'd be great at helping Boris + David.
- Nikki, London, 30/04/2010 13:04
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More power for Boris if you vote Tory?
*votes Lib Dem*. Better safe than sorry, I can't think of much worse than Boris putting even more clowns or crooks or Policy Exchange hard-rightwingers like Browne in charge of bits of London's government than he has already.
- Tom, London, UK, 30/04/2010 12:19
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Revenge on Red Ken? is that what you call dismantling a fraught and corrupt institution?
C'mon Mick, Red Ken got the bullet for reasons of natural justice not revenge.
Revenge? I'm still trying to digest that most fanciful of lies with no end in sight.
- scotty, london, 30/04/2010 12:12
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So; we will end up with the same old GLC that Thatcher destroyed for political revenge against Red Ken for not liking her?
Let's hope the Tories continue to undo all the damage and destruction Thatcher caused, and take back all the utility companies that once belonged to the people of the UK, which Thatcher sold off cheap as well.
Mind you; Tony Blair should have done all that 13 years ago?
But better late than never.
- mickinlondon, london, 30/04/2010 11:57
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Any chance of me voteing Conservatives is now out of the question.Boris will add another 20% Tax on public transport,give all illegal immigrants the right to stay and became British.
- dave, london, 30/04/2010 11:49
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