Parliament Would Like To Know If You Want The City Of London Council Reformed Or Abolished?

Green Party peer Natalie Bennett in her role as a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Investment Fraud and Fairer Financial Services has published a statement and survey asking the public for their views on the City of London Corporation (the local authority or council in the square mile). She argues that the City of London Corporation wields real influence over UK politics while standing outside much of the scrutiny and democratic controls that other public bodies are subject to: therefore the question of its future can no longer be left unexamined. The survey, which many of our readers will obviously want to complete, is here – below we reproduce the words introducing it (original of the latter is here). When William the Conqueror marched into the City of London, he promised to respect “all the rights and privileges” citizens “had hitherto enjoyed”. King John, wrestling with his barons, created the mayoralty. King Edward III in 1327 restored the city fathers’ privileges.…