Slough Borough Council said it would consider merging with West London boroughs or being absorbed by the Greater London Authority, with the Mayor saying he would be open to discussion
London is set to get even bigger after Sir Sadiq Khan expressed his willingness to consider proposals for Slough to become part of it. The Mayor stated he was ‘not surprised’ that the Berkshire area was contemplating joining the city.
This suggestion arises from the Government’s Devolution White Paper, which promotes the reorganisation of local governments into larger unitary authorities, granting more power to local leaders rather than Westminster. During a meeting on February 17, Slough Borough Council indicated it would contemplate merging with West London boroughs or being incorporated by the Greater London Authority.
Speaking to MyLondon, Sir Sadiq said: “I’m always happy to speak to those who want to join the people’s republic of London. It’s really important for us to recognise Greater London has actually grown from London over a period of decades.”
‘I’m not surprised they want to join the party’. He further added: “You look at this great city of ours then go back a thousand years and it was even smaller. That’s the story of Greater London. Growth per se is not a problem in terms of population and geography is planning for that growth. I’ve not spoken to the team at Slough but I’m not surprised they want to join the party.”
These remarks were made as the Mayor and London Councils unveiled the London Growth Plan at Imperial College London on February 27, reports MyLondon.
The plan represents a joint appeal from these bodies to the UK Government for increased investment and devolution to stimulate local and national growth.
The boss of Lambeth Council, Claire Holland, who is also the chair of London Councils, dished to MyLondon: “We’re always looking to work in partnership. We work with core cities, we work with key cities, we work with the shires at the Local Government Association. We all come together and work together.”
She further emphasised: “London Councils plays a critical role in that because we represent 9 million people, 32 boroughs and the City of London. We work within London in partnerships. We work at every level of government, regional, national, and we also work with our colleagues across the country.”For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.