Is the Mayor Listening?

Written by Sally Hamwee on Mon 22nd Apr 2002

The Mayor of London promised in his election manifesto 'the most open, accessible and inclusive government ever seen in the UK'. So I was shocked when he made clear to the Assembly just how cynical he is about consultation.

The Greater London Authority carries a responsibility to contribute to reversing the trend of public disengagement from the political process. London's new government should be an exemplar in involving citizens in the decisions that shape our city.

The GLA started with a lot of goodwill and high expectations among Londoners, a point powerfully made to us by many voluntary groups. Equally powerful has been the warning that this is vulnerable – goodwill will be retained only if it is earned. There is a lot of good work being done by officers within the GLA to consult Londoners in an effective fashion, though its co-ordination and evaluation can perhaps be described as work in progress.

So our greatest disappointment was with the Mayor himself. It was disconcerting, indeed perplexing, to find that his personal views do not tally with his early commitments. We were left in no doubt that many of the consultative processes would not exist if the Mayor was not statutorily obliged to conduct them – and that his primary reason for setting up stakeholder lists and forums was not because of the valuable expertise and links to London's communities that they offer, but because the GLA Act requires consultation.

And lack of feedback creates huge disillusion about the value of responding to consultations, and scepticism about whether the Mayor is considering Londoners' views at all. The Black Londoners Forum told us: 'London's Black and Minority Ethnic communities are often consulted and very rarely provided with information on what recommendations have been taken on board and where [they] have not... why not?'

It was also clear that the Mayor sets particular store by raising awareness of his office and himself. This is of course a necessary step, but many miles away from the dialogue that comprises productive consultation. It's a continuing process, not simply question and answer.

The Assembly wants to see the process improve (early indications are that the Mayor dismisses the report as 'spin') and to ensure that the £1 million or so spent on consultation and engagement is spent effectively. The Mayor has a lot to gain – and if he jeopardises the goodwill of Londoners, a lot to lose.