Abstract

T he Marshall P Ian for London's Government: Strategic Role or Regional Solution? ROLAND FREEMAN '''The question is", said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master - that's all".' Through The Looking Glass} Ch. 6. EFORM of London Government since the 1880s has been the outcome of a .continuous struggle between the advocates of a strong metropolitan authority and the supporters of powerful borough councils. After the City Corporation had, astonishingly, spurned an offer to take over London's administration from the corrupt and incompetent Metropolitan Board of Works, the London County Council was created in 1888 by a Conservative Government, although not in the form desired by most Conservatives active in London politics. Once the first LCC election of r889 had produced a Progressive majority of largely Liberal outlook, pressure for the creation of borough councils to offset the power of the new authority became irresis- tible. But it was too late. When the 28 Metropolitan Borough Councils were established in 1899 they were destined to be the junior partners in the government of the capital. The LCC gradually acquired a range of important responsibilities such as education, housing (the only county council to do so), hospitals, passenger transport