Sadiq Khan: We must trust Londoners to run the capital

To me, London is the best city in the world. Yet it is not a city in control of its own destiny. Over the past 10 years the capital has grown into one of just a handful of truly global cities, but we still face huge challenges. Our population is growing at an unprecedented rate, meaning we need new infrastructure: schools, bridges, tunnels and rail lines. We have a desperate housing crisis that is damaging families, businesses and our economy. Inequality is rocketing.

Yet compared with the cities with which we compete, London has very little say over its future. Only seven per cent of the taxes raised from London taxpayers and businesses is spent by London’s government — compared with 50 per cent in New York. The next Labour government is committed to changing this.

Almost everyone agrees we need to devolve more power and money to London government. To his credit, Boris Johnson has consistently campaigned for more powers as Mayor. London council leaders from all political parties are united. Experts like the LSE’s Professor Tony Travers say it’s essential to maintaining our status. Yet the Coalition Government has done absolutely nothing to give London more say over its own future. It just doesn’t trust Londoners to govern our city.

This is not just a London problem. In recent months Labour has laid out our plans to devolve significant powers and resources to all the UK’s great cities. We believe local people with hands-on knowledge of their area and local economy make better decisions about allocating resources than distant Whitehall officials. Devolution leads to more efficient government, higher growth, more jobs and will help tackle the cost of living crisis. With the Mayor and GLA, proudly established by the last Labour government, London already has more powers than many parts of Britain. But we must go further.

Labour will devolve more power and funding to every layer of London’s government. Some powers, like the responsibility for getting local people back into work, are most efficiently delivered by small groups of local councils working together. Councils in London will get more responsibility and resources to reduce crime and improve school standards as a start.

Other powers, such as planning and delivering infrastructure, can only be effectively delivered by the Mayor and Greater London Assembly. Hundreds of millions of pounds will be devolved to London’s Local Enterprise Panel, the organisation chaired by the Mayor that decides on future infrastructure plans. London government will be given more control over business rates revenue — holding on to more of the benefits of growth.

But crucially our plan isn’t an “either or” choice between the Mayor and the 32 boroughs: both levels of London government will benefit from the devolution of significant powers and Whitehall funding.

Many of London’s biggest challenges have been left untouched under Boris Johnson, who has taken a hands-off approach to the mayoralty. It’s been a wasted six years. The next Mayor of London, whoever he or she may be, will need to act quickly and boldly to get to grip with these challenges. And the next Labour government will give them the tools they need, working in partnership with newly empowered London councils, to tackle these challenges and secure London’s place as a leading global city.