Neill: Powers down, not up

London Conservatives have backed moves for the capital's mayor to have his powers extended, provided that responsibilities are only devolved downwards from central government.

As the debate about the future of the capital's governance intensifies, the Tories also warned against taking powers from town halls.

The Conservative group on the London assembly says any attempt to give the mayor powers currently held by London's boroughs should be ruled out of the ongoing review.

They say this "top-down, not bottom-up" approach should be the guiding principle in the government's decision on awarding the mayor more power.

Their statement comes on the closing day of the official consultation process, with ministers expected to take a final decision in May.

The Conservatives also say any extra powers for the mayor must be matched by greater scrutiny powers for the London assembly.

And they have criticised the government for failing to address the future of the Government Office for London (GoL).

Assembly leader Bob Neill said: "Overall, the government consultation is a disappointment. They had a real opportunity to match devolution rhetoric with action.

"They have failed to do this - as evidenced by their wish to maintain GoL, despite it being largely a duplication of powers.

"It is clear that there are strategic issues affecting London that should be devolved from central government to the mayor.

"But we must stick to the meaning of devolution - that powers come downwards from the top.

"Attempts to reach down and grab powers from the boroughs are utterly unacceptable.

"Any powers eventually given must be matched with a greater scrutiny role for the assembly."