REFERENDUM ON A GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY
7 May 1998

The proposals in this referendum were as follows (from the White Paper A Mayor and Assembly for London):

• A Greater London authority to be established, comprising a mayor elected by the "supplementary vote" system of proportional representation, and a 25-member assembly elected by the "additional member" system; elections to be held every four years, the first in 1999 or 2000, if supported in the referendum
• The authority to have responsibility for transport, planning, economic development and regeneration, the environment, policing, fire and emergency planning, culture and sport, and health, with an annual budget of about £3,300 million
• The authority to cost about £20 million to set up and £20 million p.a. to run; 80% of the running costs to be met by central government and 20% from council tax
• A new 23-member Metropolitan Police Authority to be established, with 11 members coming from the assembly and the rest appointed by the Home Secretary
• A new fire and emergency planning authority to be established
• Two new executive bodies, Transport for London and the London Development Agency, to be established and to be directly accountable to the mayor
• The assembly to be responsible for scrutinising the mayor's activities and the performance of the new authorities and executive bodies
• A monthly public question-time to be held, and an annual state of London debate

The question put to the voters of London was as follows:

"Are you in favour of the government's proposals for a Greater London Authority consisting of a directly elected mayor and a separately elected assembly?"

The result was:

Last updated 31 July 2000