Greater London Council
The Greater London Council (GLC ) was between 1965 and its closure in 1986, the highest administrative authority of Greater London. The GLC was the successor to the Metropolitan Board of Works ( MBW, 1855-1889 ) and the London County Council ( LCC, 1888-1965 ). He was solely responsible for the public transport, the fire department, emergency planning and disaster relief. Together with the London boroughs, he was responsible for road construction, social housing and the construction of recreational facilities. For other tasks, the boroughs themselves were responsible.
Foundation
The Labour Party had dominated the London County Council since 1934. In the 1950s, led by the Conservative Party government came to the conclusion that the elections were always one-sided, because the LCC only in the inner districts ( Inner London today ) was in charge, whose population predominantly Labour chose. The government was looking for ways to create an administrative authority for the whole of London, since the outer parts of the city voted a majority conservative.
1957 a parliamentary commission was set up. These recommended in 1960 the creation of 52 London boroughs as a basis for local self-government. In addition, the LCC should replace the existing, but equipped with fewer powers for planning authorities across London. The recommendations were largely complied, but limited to the number of London boroughs to 32 The management unit Greater London was established on April 1, 1965 included the County of London and almost all of Middlesex and parts of Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey, came to the previously independent urban districts of Croydon, East Ham and West Ham.
Political control
The first elections to the GLC took place in all future London Boroughs on 9 April 1964. Contrary to the hopes of the Conservatives, the Labour Party reached a comfortable absolute majority (64 Labour, 36 Conservative ); Bill Fiske was the first chairman of the GLC. In the next elections in 1967 resulted in dissatisfaction with the national government to a reversal of the relationship (82 Conservative, 18 Labour ). Desmond Plummer became the first conservative president of a city-wide administrative authority after 34 years. 1970 won the conservatives too, but with a reduced majority.
In 1972 came the electoral system to a change. There was only constituencies with a mandate and term of office of the GLC was now four instead of three years. In the elections in 1973 Labour won with a strong socialist- dominated electoral program. 57 seats went to Labour, 33 seats to the Conservatives and two seats to the Liberal Party.
The plans of the GLC majority under its chairman Reg Goodwin received by the oil crisis of 1974 put a damper. High inflation and the budget deficit of 1.6 billion pounds had a massive tax increase and unpopular benefit cuts result. A few months before the elections of the year 1977, Labour began to split into two groups. The possibility raised by Ken Livingstone left group rejected the official election manifesto of the party.
The Conservatives came in May, again in 1977 to power after they won 64 seats under the leadership of Horace Cutler; Labour reached only 28 seats. Cutler, a supporter of Thatcherism, slashed the budget and got rid of the costly social housing. The Labour Party was still at loggerheads. Goodwin came back in 1980, surprisingly, in the subsequent internal party election to the presidency was defeated Livingstone narrowly the moderate Andrew McIntosh. But Livingstone's camp could gain up to the elections of 1981, the control of the party and make the choice program to their liking.
Before the elections in May 1981 presented the Conservatives on the claim that would be replaced immediately after a Labour election victory by Andrew McIntosh Ken Livingstone. McIntosh and party leader Michael Foot protested that this was untrue. Finally, Labour won a narrow majority of six seats. Just a day after the elections, the left wing Labour prevailed, deposed MacIntosh and chose Livingstone GLC - chairman. Livingstone was able to push through most of its concerns and soon became a very popular politician.
Abolition and replacement
The observance of Livingstone's socialist dominated election promises proved to be very costly, which inevitably led to a conflict with the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Livingstone provoked the government where he could. So he left on the facade of County Hall, the seat of the GLC, a huge neon sign with the current unemployment figures install, just opposite the Palace of Westminster, the seat of government.
1983, the government decided to dissolve the GLC. They argued that the GLC is inefficient and unnecessary, the tasks could be done at least as well by the boroughs. The removal took place but really for purely political reasons. The Local Government Act, which provided for the dissolution of the GLC at 31 March 1986 was a narrow majority in the House. During her last tenure, the GLC was mainly concerned with finding new jobs for the 22,000 employees.
After the dissolution of the GLC London was the world's only metropolis without a central administration. Most tasks were transferred to the boroughs, while some were directly subordinate to the Government. But it soon became evident that the presence of a central authority was essential for the functioning of a big city, because more and more often it came to coordination difficulties.
After Tony Blair became Prime Minister in 1997, he promised the re-establishment of an authority for the whole of London. 1999, the creation of the Greater London Authority (GLA ) was approved in a referendum. The GLA, consisting of the London Assembly and the Mayor of London, began operations in the following year. For the first Mayor ( Mayor ) Ken Livingstone was elected, the last chairman of the GLC.
Chairman of the GLC
- Bill Fiske 1964-67
- Desmond Plummer 1967-73
- Sir Reg Goodwin 1973-77
- Sir Horace Cutler 1977-81
- Ken Livingstone 1981-84
- John Wilson in 1984
- Ken Livingstone 1984-86
1964
1967
1970
1973
The number of seats was reduced by a change in the electoral system from 100 to 92.