Greater London Authority Bill

I am slightly provoked by those last comments. In fact, with an executive Mayor in whom all power resides, a presidential system is exactly what we have. That is one of the concerns that we on these Benches have always had. All executive authority, as far as the powers of the GLA go, is vested in the Mayor, while the Assembly has the ability to scrutinise. Of course, that is not simply an American model; many European countries also have term limits. My only interest in this is as someone who lives in London, at least occasionally during the week. It always strikes me that, contrary to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Harris, it does not become harder for an incumbent to win. The weight of the machinery—including that magnificent publication, the Londoner, a sort of Ken Livingstone propaganda machine that is doled out to us all—influences and affects the democratic process adversely, because the power of incumbency is enormous. We have to be honest about what we have: a presidential system in London. If the Government have their way, we will have the same system throughout England, so we must take heed of the lessons we learn from what is happening in London, because soon we will have it everywhere else.