Deputy Mayor of London

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The Deputy Mayor of London is a member of the London Assembly appointed by the Mayor of London in accordance with the Greater London Authority Act 1999. No particular duties are specified by the Act, except to be available as temporary Mayor during a vacancy or temporary incapacity of the Mayor. The Deputy Mayor's salary in 2007-08 is £90,954.

Under Ken Livingstone: 2000–2008

The 2000 London mayoral election was won by Ken Livingstone, who ran as an independent after being expelled from the Labour Party. He announced that he would rotate the position of deputy mayor equally between the four parties represented in the London Assembly (Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green). He offered the role to Nicky Gavron of the Labour Party for the first year. After some political manoeuvring, she accepted.

However in 2001, Ken Livingstone decided not to offer the role to the Conservatives, claiming it would be disruptive, so Nicky Gavron retained the post. In 2002 the Liberal Democrats were asked to nominate a candidate but declined, saying that it would be better to scrutinise the mayor from an independent position. Again Nicky Gavron remained. In 2003, the Greens accepted an offer to nominate a deputy mayor and selected Jenny Jones, who became London's second deputy mayor.

Nicky Gavron was originally chosen as the Labour candidate for the 2004 London mayoral election but she stepped aside when Ken Livingstone was invited to rejoin the party. They then ran on a joint ticket as Labour's candidates for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor. She served as Ken Livingstone's deputy for the duration of his second term.

Under Boris Johnson: 2008–

After Boris Johnson became Mayor in May 2008, he appointed Richard Barnes as his statutory Deputy Mayor, with the specific responsibility for community cohesion and regeneration. However, he also gave the title of Deputy Mayor to several other people, each with a specific role: Ian Clement (Government Relations); Kit Malthouse (Policing); and Ray Lewis (Young People). Sir Simon Milton, a former councillor, served as Deputy Mayor of Policy and Planning and Chief of Staff to Johnson until his death in office in 2011. Richard Barnes ceased to be Deputy Mayor on 4 May 2012, when he lost his seat in the Assembly. Victoria Borwick succeeded him in the post.

List of Deputy Mayors

Colour key
(for political parties)

  Labour

  Green

  Conservative

  Independent

Name		Portrait	Term of office		Political party	Mayor
	Nicky (Coates) Gavron		16 May 2000	16 May 2003	Labour		Ken Livingstone
	Jenny Jones		12 May 2003	14 June 2004	Green
	Nicky (Coates) Gavron		14 June 2004	4 May 2008	Labour
	Richard Barnes		6 May 2008	4 May 2012	Conservative		Boris Johnson
	Victoria (Poore) Borwick, Baroness Borwick		9 May 2012	Incumbent	Conservative

External links

Appointment of Deputy Mayors

• Guardian article about the Greens selecting Jenny Jones to be deputy mayor in 2003 (also includes background on Ken Livingstone's deputy mayor rotation system)
• BBC News article about Nicky Gavron being appointed deputy mayor in 2000
• Newspaper column by Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member Lynne Featherstone that includes an explanation of why her party turned down the deputy mayor post

Delegation of Executive Powers Controversy

• London Assembly Press Release: Mayor leaves London in hands of adviser