Greater London Authority Bill

Like my hon. Friend the Minister, I am sorry that the Conservatives do not support the Bill. Having served as a Committee member, I do not think that today’s debate was a fair reflection of the mood or the substantial level of agreement in Committee. The Bill builds on the successful introduction of the post of London Mayor. Yes, that measure was opposed by Opposition parties, who have now changed their mind. I do not take issue with them for doing so, but it is a shame that, having changed their position and having made the comments cited by my hon. Friend, they are not prepared to see that through by supporting the Bill. Our debates in Committee reflected the fact that this is overwhelmingly a devolutionary Bill, and there was broad agreement on devolutionary matters, including housing, health, culture and other matters that have not been debated today. The Opposition parties have chosen to make the single issue of planning—and, indeed, within that issue, the effect on housing development—a cause célèbre, which distorts both the debate and the Bill. I can only think that they have decided to do so, as my hon. Friend said, because political disagreement has been smuggled into the Bill under the guise of disagreement about the constitutional question of where power should lie.