Minister Ruth Kelly has rubbished claims that plans to give the London mayor more powers contradicted the White Paper. Speaking at the London Councils' leaders meeting on Tuesday, Ms Kelly said proposals to give the mayor strategic planning powers did not go against the local government White Paper's commitment to devolution. ‘It's the same approach we are applying across the country – to get the right powers in the right place to meet strategic demand,' she said. Ms Kelly faced a grilling from the packed meeting about the plans, which many London leaders feared could take power away from them. Cllr Jason Stacey, leader of Ealing LBC, said: ‘The strategic issue is absolutely crucial. Where does the strategy stop. Where will the mayor's powers stop?' And leader of Westminster City Council, Sir Simon Milton, added: ‘If you look at the number of times the mayor has intervened since he took office, it's 1,200 times. While he may have the best of intentions, if the system gives him the latitude to do more, history shows that is exactly what he does.' Ms Kelly said she wanted to work with the mayor, the Greater London Assembly and borough councils to achieve ‘a workable solution'. ‘What we are trying to do is work with yourselves to get the balance right. The principle must be that the mayor must be able to implement the London Plan.' She then added, to laughter from some: ‘He [Ken Livingstone] said very clearly it would be his intention to take up only a handful of cases.'
