Association of London Government
Encyclopedia
London Councils is the local government
association for London
, England
, bringing together representatives of the 32 London Borough
s and the City of London Corporation, the Metropolitan Police Authority
and the London Fire Brigade
who are all members by subscription. In October 2006 it changed its name from the Association of London Government ('ALG') in order to refocus its role and avoid confusion with the Greater London Authority
(GLA) and the Local Government Association
(LGA). London Councils is based on Southwark Street
, near London Bridge
.
London Councils fights for more resources for London and is committed to getting the best possible deal for London's 33 councils. It also develops policy
, lobbies
government and others, and runs a range of direct services
designed to make life better for Londoners.
London Councils represents London local government
to national government
, European institutions
, business and other bodies, lobbying for investment
and funding
. The direct services it provides on behalf of the boroughs, include the Freedom Pass
providing more than a 1.2 million older, disabled and blind people free travel on London’s buses, tubes and trains, and the Parking and Traffic Appeals (PATAS) service, the Taxicard and Lorry Control schemes, London Care Placements and NOTIFY - the service that helps homeless families access services. The grants committee provides over £26 million in funding for many local groups who work across London boroughs on issues such as employment
, conservation, advocacy
and arts
and also distributes over £8m of European Social Fund
grants.
, councils which had left the LBA in the 1980s. The ALG itself merged with several other small organisations upon the creation of the Greater London Authority
in 2000. The GLA was a member of the ALG for a period, before Mayor Ken Livingstone
fell out with leading councillors and withdrew. The two organisations do coordinate their work however.
regained control in 2010, is Councillor Jules Pipe
CBE of the London Borough of Hackney
. Previously Labour
's Lord Toby Harris (of Haringey
) was Chair from 1995 to 2000 and Sir Robin Wales
, directly elected Labour Mayor of Newham
, was chair from 2000 to 2006. Merrick Cockell
of Kensington and Chelsea
served as Chairman between 2006 and 2010, the first Conservative
to do so.
In 2008, a new directorate
of London Councils was formed: Capital Ambition. This was formed from the merger of the previous London Centre of Excellence, London Connects and London's regional improvement and efficienty partnership, Capital Ambition.
London Councils is run by an execuitive of eleven senior members with policy
area portfolios. These councillors are in proportion to the party representation on London councils. The Leaders Committee is made up of all the leaders of London's boroughs and meets once a month to discuss and agree policy issues of importance to Londoners and their councils.
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
association for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, bringing together representatives of the 32 London Borough
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
s and the City of London Corporation, the Metropolitan Police Authority
Metropolitan Police Authority
The Metropolitan Police Authority is the police authority responsible for supervising the Metropolitan Police Service, the police force for Greater London ....
and the London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade
The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...
who are all members by subscription. In October 2006 it changed its name from the Association of London Government ('ALG') in order to refocus its role and avoid confusion with the Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
(GLA) and the Local Government Association
Local Government Association
The Local Government Association is a voluntary lobbying organisation acting as the voice of the local government sector in England and Wales, which seeks to be an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf....
(LGA). London Councils is based on Southwark Street
Southwark Street
Southwark Street is a major street in the London Borough of Southwark, in London England, just south of the River Thames. It runs between Blackfriars Road to the west and Borough High Street to the east. It also connects the access routes for London Bridge, Southwark Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge...
, near London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
.
London Councils fights for more resources for London and is committed to getting the best possible deal for London's 33 councils. It also develops policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
, lobbies
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
government and others, and runs a range of direct services
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
designed to make life better for Londoners.
London Councils represents London local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
to national government
Central government
A central government also known as a national government, union government and in federal states, the federal government, is the government at the level of the nation-state. The structure of central governments varies from institution to institution...
, European institutions
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, business and other bodies, lobbying for investment
Investment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
and funding
Funding
Funding is the act of providing resources, usually in form of money , or other values such as effort or time , for a project, a person, a business or any other private or public institutions...
. The direct services it provides on behalf of the boroughs, include the Freedom Pass
Freedom Pass
Freedom Pass is a concessionary travel scheme, which began in 1984, to provide free travel to residents of Greater London, England who are aged 60 and over or who have a disability. The scheme is funded by local authorities and coordinated by London Councils...
providing more than a 1.2 million older, disabled and blind people free travel on London’s buses, tubes and trains, and the Parking and Traffic Appeals (PATAS) service, the Taxicard and Lorry Control schemes, London Care Placements and NOTIFY - the service that helps homeless families access services. The grants committee provides over £26 million in funding for many local groups who work across London boroughs on issues such as employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
, conservation, advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
and arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
and also distributes over £8m of European Social Fund
European Social Fund
The European Social Fund is the European Union’s main financial instrument for supporting employment in the Member States as well as promoting economic and social cohesion. ESF spending amounts to around 10% of the EU’s total budget....
grants.
History
The ALG came out of a merger between the London Boroughs Association and the Association of London Authorities in 1995. The ALA consisted of many, mainly LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, councils which had left the LBA in the 1980s. The ALG itself merged with several other small organisations upon the creation of the Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
in 2000. The GLA was a member of the ALG for a period, before Mayor Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
fell out with leading councillors and withdrew. The two organisations do coordinate their work however.
Leadership
The Chairman of London Councils, since the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
regained control in 2010, is Councillor Jules Pipe
Jules Pipe
Julian Benjamin Pipe CBE is the first directly elected Mayor of the London Borough of Hackney since his election in October 2002.He worked as a journalist until taking on the full-time position as Mayor....
CBE of the London Borough of Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
. Previously Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
's Lord Toby Harris (of Haringey
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...
) was Chair from 1995 to 2000 and Sir Robin Wales
Robin Wales
Sir Robin Andrew Wales is a Labour Party politician and current Mayor of the London Borough of Newham- Early life :Wales was born in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland in 1955, and was educated at the University of Glasgow where he read Chemistry and was chair of the Glasgow University Labour Club...
, directly elected Labour Mayor of Newham
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
, was chair from 2000 to 2006. Merrick Cockell
Merrick Cockell
Sir Merrick Richard Cockell is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, Leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Chairman of the Local Government Association...
of Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
served as Chairman between 2006 and 2010, the first Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
to do so.
In 2008, a new directorate
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of London Councils was formed: Capital Ambition. This was formed from the merger of the previous London Centre of Excellence, London Connects and London's regional improvement and efficienty partnership, Capital Ambition.
London Councils is run by an execuitive of eleven senior members with policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
area portfolios. These councillors are in proportion to the party representation on London councils. The Leaders Committee is made up of all the leaders of London's boroughs and meets once a month to discuss and agree policy issues of importance to Londoners and their councils.