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The City of London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. It’s situated in southeastern England. London is among the oldest of the world’s great cities and one of the most cosmopolitan. It is the country’s economic, transportation, and cultural centre. Since the Middle Ages, London has been renowned for influencing other cities around the world. It is famous for its astounding medieval buildings and modern structures that stand side by side to complement each other. Some of the places that make it famous include the amazing ancient buildings, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Art Galleries, the Palace of Westminster, the London Eye and the Tower of London.
There are two tiers of local government in London. They are citywide and local tiers. Citywide administration is coordinated by the Greater London Authority (GLA), while local administration is carried out by 33 smaller authorities.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) consists of two elected parts. They are the Mayor of London, who has executive powers, and the London Assembly, who scrutinise the Mayor's decisions and can accept or reject his budget proposals each year. The GLA is responsible for strategic planning, policing, the fire service, and most aspects of transport and economic development. On the other hand, the 33 local authorities are the 32 London borough councils and the City of London Corporation. They are responsible for local services not overseen by the GLA, such as local planning, schools, social services, local roads and refuse collection. The London boroughs each have a council made up of representatives from political parties and single-issue organisations elected every four years by residents.
The City of London continues to be a major global financial and commercial hub, boasting one of the largest city economies in the world. The city thrives on trade, finance, and commerce, with a dynamic business culture. As of the most recent data, London’s economy generates a GDP of over $750 billion (approximately £600 billion), accounting for around 23 per cent of the UK's total GDP. Its economic size surpasses that of many European countries. The Port of London remains a vital part of the city's economy, handling around 50 million tonnes of cargo annually.
The GLA took positive steps with its draft London Infrastructure Plan 2050. The Mayor of London took a big step forward in planning for growth with the publication of the GLA’s London Infrastructure Plan 2050. It identifies a range of infrastructure priorities for London, from new energy, water and sewerage infrastructure, to enhanced digital connectivity and new Tube, rail and road schemes. Some of the investment is provided by the private sector, through the privatised utilities. This has generally worked well in London, although businesses is particularly concerned about the lack of capacity in digital infrastructure. The take-up of high-speed broadband by business is low compared to other world cities; and just over 10% of premises cannot access superfast broadband in the first place, with these “not spots” particularly prevalent in the City of London and Tech City. Business sees these as priority areas for action by the Mayor.