Thousands of people are calling for the entire UK to get voting rights in London’s mayoral elections. A petition – entitled “Let the UK vote for the next London Mayor. It is our capital after all!” – has been signed by more than 6,500 people. Launched by Lorraine Davis, it claims voters outside the capital should have the right to vote because the Mayor of London’s decisions have a “roll-on effect” on the rest of the UK. She said: “After the disastrous last few years of Sadiq Khan being the mayor of London, let the people of the country elect the next mayor, as it does affect the rest of the country, what does and does not happen in London seems to have a roll-on effect.” However, the petition is guaranteed to be rejected by the government because the mayor is directly accountable to Londoners under local democracy laws.
The government received a similar petition – “Let all UK citizens vote on who is mayor of London not just Londoners” – in May. It had over 20,000 signatures.
In a rejection response, it said: “A London mayor whose electoral mandate comes from the whole nation may seek to serve the interests of voters in the UK as a whole, rather than those of Londoners.