The GLA and London Mayoral election will be going ahead on May 6th 2021 in light of Covid-19 restrictions, the Cabinet Office has confirmed. The election was originally scheduled for May 2020 but had to be postponed due to restrictions at the time, however there are no current plans to push it back again.
What does the Mayor and the GLA do?
The Assembly acts as the eyes and ears of Londoners at City Hall. Assembly Members hold the Mayor to account by examining Mayoral strategies, decisions and actions to make sure they are in the public interest.
The Mayor makes decisions that affect Londoners' lives.
The Mayor and the GLA sets an overall vision for London. They have an important function to create plans and policies for the capital covering:
- Arts & Culture
- Business & Economy
- Environment
- Fire
- Health
- Housing and Land
- Planning
- Policing & Crime
- Regeneration
- Sport
- Transport
- Young People
Other priorities for the Mayor include higher education, foreign Investment and attracting events and conferences to London. Full roles and powers are layed out in the GLA Act 1999 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1999/29/contents).
The position of Mayor of London was created in 2000 to be the elected voice of the capital and champion London both at home and abroad.
Why the GLA is important?
Assembly Members are elected every 4 years by Londoners to represent their interests on vital issues.
The most public way for GLA members to hold the Mayor to account is at Mayor ’s Question Time. The GLA also conducts investigations through its committees, which meet regularly and publish their findings. They provide recommendations, making proposals to the Mayor and government organisations about ways to improve the capital.
The London Assembly also funds and appoints the board of London Travel Watch, the independent consumer watchdog for transport users.
When are polling stations open?
Polls will be open from 7am to 10pm on 6 May 2021.
I am self-isolating - how do I vote?
If you cannot get to your polling station, you can apply for a postal vote or ask someone to vote on your behalf with a proxy vote.
Who can I vote for?
In these elections you can vote for 1 Mayor of London & 2 members of the London Assembly, (1 for your constituency (Ealing & Hillingdon) and 1 for London as a whole).
Ealing and Hillingdon (London Assembly Constituency)
Ealing and Hillingdon is a constituency represented in the London Assembly. It consists of the combined area of the London Borough of Ealing and the London Borough of Hillingdon.
The constituency contains all of the following UK Parliament constituencies: Ealing Central & Acton, Ealing North, Ealing Southall, Hayes and Harlington, Uxbridge & South Ruislip and parts of Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner.
Ealing & Hillingdon was a Conservative constituency on the London Assembly from 2000 - 2012. This year it is one of the most marginal constituencies in the whole of the London Assembly elections with a Labour majority of only 7.9%. So every vote will really matter.
