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Greater London Authority Bill

I shall make a little progress before I indulge the hon. Gentleman. It is important that the system is transparent to electors. The average elector thinks the current system is manifestly absurd. The last two of the Mayor's budgets were passed having lost 16 to nine in the assembly. If we asked any citizen of the UK where someone could lose 16 to nine and still win, the answer would be that the only place that could happen would be city hall and the only person who could do it would be the Mayor of London, who had much enjoyment sitting in the gallery shouting, ““Passed””, every time the assembly defeated one of his propositions. That is the type of jiggery-pokery that brings politics into contempt and disrepute. People see their elected representatives in the assembly, who have as good a mandate as the Mayor, in effect, emasculated. That is not healthy or sensible governance.