
This year marks London Councils’ 30th anniversary, a milestone that will see the cross-party group reflecting on three decades of building successful collaboration and envisioning the future of local government in the capital – with a new London devolution deal as a key ambition.
London Councils, which represents all 32 boroughs and the City of London Corporation, was established as the Association of London Government in March 1995. The umbrella body was renamed London Councils in 2006.
By providing a collective voice for London local government, London Councils has raised awareness of the biggest issues facing the capital and the policy and funding solutions needed to address these, most notably in local government finance, housing and devolution.
It has also served as a forum for London boroughs to come together to discuss new challenges and make collective decisions at pace, such as on allocating London’s share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to ensure it has the greatest strategic impact across the city.
London Councils is also proud of its track record of collaborative working to deliver efficiencies for the boroughs and important benefits to Londoners. These include:
- The Freedom Pass and Taxicard concessionary travel schemes
- Playing a pivotal role in the launch of the Keep London Safe vaccination promotion campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic
- The London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI), which was created as a joint venture between boroughs and the GLA to improve London’s use of new technology, data, and innovation
- London CIV, one of the country’s first pooled pension funds delivering efficiencies and more effective investment while managing London Local Government Pension Scheme assets.
London Councils says that joint working between the boroughs remains crucial, especially as it seeks to shape government policy on council funding and renew the capital’s devolution settlement.
Cllr Claire Holland, Chair of London Councils, said:
“Collaborating at a pan-London, cross-party level has brought immense benefits to boroughs and the residents we serve. This was turbocharged during the Covid pandemic as we worked together to keep London safe and deliver an effective vaccination programme to all our communities.
“As London Councils marks our 30th anniversary in 2025, we will be celebrating the many successful collaborations we have built with our member boroughs and reflecting on all that we have learned over the past three decades.
“Drawing on our experiences will help us to shape the future of London local government. From sustaining London’s local services through to accelerating progress towards net zero and generating inclusive growth, we continue to have big ambitions and a key role to play.”
This year also marks 60 years since the London boroughs were created in April 1965, as well as 25 years since the creation of the Greater London Authority.
In response to the publication of the English Devolution white paper, London Councils emphasised that a new devolution deal is vital for boosting economic growth in the capital and enabling it to compete as a global city. London Councils wants a more formalised structure for joint decision-making between boroughs and the Mayor of London, which it says will produce more coordinated decisions and better outcomes for Londoners.