• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / History / Ten More Interesting Facts about the Greater London Authority

Ten More Interesting Facts about the Greater London Authority

May 12, 2022 By John Rabon 2 Comments

The New New City Hall

Unlike any other local government in the United Kingdom, the Greater London Authority shares more in common with American city governments.  It has a legislature and a mayor elected to four-year terms, it is a central authority for practically all of London (except for the City of London), and its policies impact the lives of 9 million people.  We covered ten interesting facts about the GLA about six years ago covering much of the information you just read, but that is not the end of the info we have to share. 

Twice a Mayor

The Greater London Authority has had only three mayors since it came into existence in 2000.  The first elected Mayor was Ken Livingstone, who had actually served in a similar position already.  Livingstone had been the Leader of the Greater London Council (the GLA’s predecessor) from 1981 to 1986.  His time in office only came to an end when Margaret Thatcher’s government dissolved the GLC.  A Labour politician, Livingstone did not receive his party’s nomination for the position prior to the election and won as an independent candidate. 

A Stepping Stone

And speaking of Mayors, current Prime Minister Boris Johnson served as Greater London Mayor from 2008 to 2016 before returning the Parliament as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.  One of Johnson’s lasting legacies is the bicycle hire scheme throughout the city, a policy initiated by Livingstone but brought to fruition while Johnson was Mayor.  This, combined with Johnson’s own love of cycling got the cycles nicknamed “Boris Bikes.” 

And the Reigning Champ

When Boris Johnson left office in 2016, the incoming mayor was Labour politician Sadiq Khan.  Khan served as an MP for Tooting prior to running for Mayor in 2016.  He has served in the position ever since and is the first Muslim politician to serve as Mayor of London.  However, he’s not the first Muslim mayor in all of Greater London, as Lutfur Rahman served as Mayor of the Borough of Tower Hamlets from 2010 to 2015. 

City Hall(s) 

The Greater London Authority’s home since 2000 was appropriately dubbed “City Hall” and is located at The Queen’s Walk, London SE1.  It had several nicknames, including “The Snail,” “The Onion,” and “The Armadillo.”  Interestingly, the GLA did not own the building but leased it.  This prompted the body to construct its own building, known as “The Crystal” in Newham, which opened for the GLA’s business in January 2022 in the midst of the COVID pandemic.  Prior to becoming home for the GLA, The Crystal was an exhibition center that had been constructed in 2012. 

Practicing What They Preach

The Greater London Authority has long been an advocate for green, energy-conscious buildings, and the new City Hall is a showcase for several energy-conscious technologies, from traditional solar panels to the building’s shape.  The Crystal may not look like it, but it is technically a geometrically modified sphere, keeping the roof only minimally exposed to sunlight which prevents the buildup of heat and reduces the energy required to cool it. 

European Representation

From 1999 until the United Kingdom left the EU in 2021, the GLA was actually its own constituency in the European Parliament.  At any one time, it had from seven to nine MEPs (Members of the European Parliament).

Representative Figures

The GLA is divided into seventy-three Parliamentary constituencies but only elects twenty-five members to the London Assembly. 

The Big City

Greater London has a total area of 1,572 square kilometers, and the population density is roughly 5,197 Londoners per square kilometer, which is a lot of people for each London Assembly member to represent. 

Moving People Around

The GLA is actually responsible for the management of several London agencies, including Transportation for London.  TfL handles every aspect of public transportation, including the buses, London Underground, Overground, Docklands Light Rail, Santander Cycles bicycle hire, the Emirates Air Line cable cars, and the Congestion Charge. 

Planning for the Future

The Greater London Mayor is responsible for producing The London Plan, which is the strategic land use plan for Greater London.  The London Plan was first published in 2004 and has been updated in 2008, 2011, 2016, and 2021.  The London Boroughs’ Councils are legally bound to follow the plan, and the Mayor can actually override their planning decisions. 

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: History

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nick Davies says

    May 12, 2022 at 3:12 pm

    “the GLA was actually its own constituency in the European Parliament. At any one time, it had from seven to nine MEPs ”

    ??? The GLA had nothing to do with the European Parliament. MEPs weren’t appointed by local authorities, they were elected in the usual way.

    Reply
  2. nick says

    May 13, 2022 at 2:52 pm

    TfL also is responsible for the almost-open Elizabeth line and large parts of London’s road network.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • What’s On in London Events for February 2023
  • Only Fools And Horses musical to close in West End after four years
  • Artist Ai Weiwei to launch first design-focused exhibition at London’s Design Museum
  • London Travel Alert: Staff at British Museum to walk out during half-term break
  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London
  • Ten Social Media Accounts to Follow for Londonphiles
  • New Royal Academy Exhibition: Treasures from Spain and the Hispanic World

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in