Congress of Leaders and City Charter

The first ever City Charter for London, signed in April 2009, is a groundbreaking new agreement between the Mayor and London's 33 boroughs to work together.

View meeting papers from the Congress in our committees section

The City Charter for London aims to improve the capital's public services and deliver better value for money for London taxpayers. Under the Charter, a Congress of Leaders made up of borough leaders and the Mayor is held at least twice a year.

The Congress discusses a range of issues including transport, responding to the economic recession, reducing serious youth violence, policing, climate change, health and winning resources for London. The meetings help borough leaders and the Mayor formulate joint pan-London action plans to tackle these issues.

The Charter has formalised the joint work that had already been undertaken by the Mayor and the boroughs on a range of initiatives including the London Child Poverty Commission and the London Waste and Recycling Board as well as on other individual projects.

It also aims to increase the transparency of the political workings between City Hall and London’s boroughs, make it easier for Londoners to see what decisions are being made in their names and to hold their politicians – both local and regional - to account on the outcomes of these decisions.

The City Charter, believed to be the only one of its kind in Europe, does not mean that either the boroughs or the Mayor lose their independence or ability to challenge or disagree with decisions taken individually by the other party.

Since the Charter was set up the Mayor and the boroughs have worked together to lobby the government to ease the impact of the cuts on the capital, the devolution of powers from the Government office for London, and to agree a concordat to reduce the number of roadworks on the capital’s streets.