A London Assembly inquiry into the future governance of the UK’s capital city has drawn on evidence from Tokyo in its deliberations.
Its report ‘A New Agreement for London’ makes a number of recommendations to the UK government concerning the capital’s future governance and devolved arrangements. This includes the devolution of powers over business rates and suburban rail services, as well as joining up public health and criminal justice functions with the office of the London Mayor.
The report also considers what necessary checks and balances the Assembly may require if the Mayor is granted more executive responsibility for public services and taxes in London.
The cross-party Devolution Working Group, set up in late 2013, is the latest milestone in the evolution of the London mayoralty since its creation in 2000, following the Assembly’s Commission on London Governance in 2005-06 and the Mayor’s London Finance Commission which sat in 2012-13. As with the London Finance Commission, the working group considered international evidence from New York City and Tokyo, with the Japan Local Government Centre supplying a briefing about the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Assembly on its behalf (which can be accessed from here).
The working group’s report will now be formally agreed by the Assembly’s Oversight Committee in October. In response, JLGC is now compiling a report on London’s recent history of devolution and the powers of its Assembly for cities and regions in Japan to consider.
In July 2014 Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe gave a statement of support for fiscal devolution to all global cities on behalf of the London Finance Commission.
