Greater London Authority Bill

For each of the seven years of LFEPA’s existence the Mayor has had the power, which he has exercised, to appoint its chair. He appoints its members, a proportion of whom are members of his own political party. I do not understand how reducing the elected membership by two and appointing two members would increase the Mayor’s influence over the budget and how it is operated. I have attended every budget debate in the London Assembly since the creation of LFEPA and cannot recall any significant problem or difference between the Mayor and the Assembly or the Mayor and LFEPA. What problem are we trying to fix? Reference was made to the two appointed members perhaps representing the business community or adding to the ethnic mix of LFEPA. Those are desirable objectives but they are not specified in the Bill. Any future Mayor of London may appoint any two people whom he or she wishes to appoint. The suspicion will inevitably be that the Mayor will appoint members of his or her party to obtain the majority that the electors have not given to the fire authority. That cannot be right either. So I return to the question: what is the problem that we are trying to fix? After seven years’ experience, I do not think that there is a problem and I do not think that this clause is right or necessary.