Explanatory note

The Greater London Authority Act 1999 (“the 1999 Act”) provides for a new authority for Greater London, comprising the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. The latter will consist of 25 members of whom 14 will be “constituency members” and 11 will be “London members”.

The procedures for the return of the Mayor, the London members and the constituency members are contained primarily in section 4 of the 1999 Act, but other provisions, of particular relevance to the election of the Mayor and the London members, will be found in Schedule 2 to that Act.

These Rules make detailed provision for elections to the office of Mayor and of the members of the London Assembly. The election of the constituency members is to be conducted in accordance with the rules set out in Schedule 1 to the Rules. The election of the London members is to be conducted in accordance with the rules set out in Schedule 2. The election of the Mayor of London is to be conducted in accordance with the rules set out in Schedule 3. At an ordinary election, where the constituency members, the London members and the Mayor are elected on the same occasion, the rules in Schedules 1 to 3 are adapted in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 4. At an election where votes are to be counted by electronic means, the rules in Schedules 1 to 3 are further adapted in accordance with Schedule 6.

Schedule 5 contains the forms that are to be used in some or all of the elections and, in relation to some of the forms, directions for their printing. Where votes are to be counted by electronic means, forms which comply with the directions set out in Schedule 6 are to be used instead of forms 5, 6 and 7 in Schedule 5.

Schedule 7 to the Rules is concerned with amendments and modifications to the Local Elections (Principal Areas) Rules 1986 where the poll at a Greater London Authority election is combined with the poll at an election of London borough councillors. Schedule 8 to the Rules makes provision for the modification of the rules in Schedules 1 to 3 that apply to Greater London Authority elections where the poll is taken together with the poll at a parliamentary, European Parliamentary or London borough election under section 15(1) or (2) of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

The Rules also apply in relation to the filling of vacancies in the office of the Mayor (to which section 16 of the 1999 Act is relevant) and to filling vacancies among the constituency members (to which section 10 of the 1999 Act is relevant). The procedure for the filling of vacancies among the London members is governed primarily by section 11 of the 1999 Act.