What is the London Mayoral Election?
The role of Mayor of London was created in 2000 as the first directly elected position of its kind. The work of the Mayor is scrutinised by the London Assembly, a 25-member elected body and part of the Greater London Authority – the devolved governance body of London.
What is the role of the Mayor?
The Mayor of London’s overarching duty is to promote economic, social, and environmental improvements in London.
Transport (TFL)
Police & Crime
Economic Growth
Housing
Culture
Environment
More specifically, the Mayor sets out policies and plans for London covering transport, crime and policing, economic development, housing, and environmental issues such as air quality. The Mayor has a number of other duties related to culture, including responsibility for Trafalgar and Parliament Square.
How is the Mayor Funded?
The Mayor has a £17 billion annual budget, which is financed through a combination of central government grants, transport fares and other charges, such as business rates and council tax.
Who can vote in the Mayoral Election?
To vote, you must be 18 or over on the day of the election, be a British, Irish, Commonwealth or EU citizen, be resident at an address in Greater London, and not legally excluded from voting. No laws have been changed to prevent EU citizens from voting in London elections and so they are still eligible to vote. But remember, your vote won’t count unless you’re registered.
Why is voting in this election important?
Voter turnout in regional elections is traditionally lower than national elections. But, if you’re a Londoner, the outcome of the Mayoral election has a direct bearing on your local area – your commute to work, funding for community facilities, and how many police are on the street.
Who are the candidates in 2021?
- Kam Balayev (Renew)
- Count Binface (Count Binface for Mayor of London)
- Valerie Brown (Burning Pink)
- Piers Corbyn (Let London Live)
- Max Fosh (Independent)
- Laurence Fox (Reclaim Party)
- Peter Gammons (UKIP)
- Richard Hewison (Rejoin EU)
- Vanessa Hudson (Animal Welfare Party)
- Steve Kelleher (Social Democratic Party)
- David Kurten (Heritage Party)
- Farah London (Independent)
- Nims Obunge (Independent)
- Niko Omilana (Independent)
- Mandu Reid (Women's Equality Party)
- Brian Rose (London Real Party)
We have picked out the top four candidates (based on party share of vote in last Mayoral election), but have listed all candidates standing in alphabetical order. You can view the full list via Democracy Club!
How does the election work?
The Mayor of London is elected every four years using the Supplementary Vote system. When voting, you are required to make a first and second choice. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the first choice votes, all candidates except for the top two are eliminated. If your first choice candidate is eliminated, and your second choice is for one of the top two, your second choice is counted.
London Assembly members are elected using the Additional Member system. You vote once for your constituency member and once for a London-wide representative.