Westminster City Council is the local authority for theCity of Westminster inGreater London, England. The council has been underLabour majority control since 2022. Full council meetings are generally held atWestminster Council House, also known as Marylebone Town Hall, and the council has its main offices atWestminster City Hall on Victoria Street.
Whilst an important centre of royal authority fromSaxon times,Westminster was not formally incorporated as aborough for local government purposes until 1900. However, it was declared acity in 1540.[5]
From 1856 the area of the modern borough was within the area governed by theMetropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across themetropolis of London. In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made theCounty of London. From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised variousparish vestries and district boards. One such district was initially called theWestminster District, which was renamed the St Margaret and St John Combined Vestry in 1887.[6] In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised intometropolitan boroughs, includingWestminster (which inherited Westminster's city status),[7]Paddington andSt Marylebone, each with a borough council.[8]
The larger London borough called the City of Westminster and its council were created under theLondon Government Act 1963, with the first election heldin 1964.[9] For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's three outgoing authorities, being the metropolitan borough councils of Westminster, Paddington and St Marylebone. The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old boroughs and their councils were abolished.[10][11] In 1966 the city was granted the dignity of having alord mayor.[12]
The council's full legal name is "The Lord Mayor and Citizens of the City of Westminster", but it is generally known as Westminster City Council.[13]
From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by theGreater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance,flood prevention, andrefuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Westminster) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries andrefuse collection. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees.[14] Westminster became alocal education authority in 1990 when theInner London Education Authority was dissolved.[15]
In the late 1980s, the under the leadership ofConservative councillorShirley Porter, the council was involved in thehomes for votes scandal. In marginal wards, the council moved the homeless elsewhere, and sold council homes to groups who were more likely to vote Conservative. On investigation, the policy was ruled to be illegal, and it was revealed that some of the homeless had been rehoused in condemned accommodation. After leaving office, Porter was found guilty of wilful misconduct and ordered to repay £36.1million; a payment of £12.3million was eventually accepted.[16][17][18]
Since 2000 theGreater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within theEnglish local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.[19]
The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as abilling authority also collects precepts forGreater London Authority functions and business rates.[20] It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is alocal education authority and is also responsible forcouncil housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.[21]
The council has been under Labour majority control since 2022. Prior to that the council had been under Conservative majority control since the creation of the current authority in 1965.[22]
The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows:[23]
Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 54councillors representing 18wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[37]
Mair Garside (Labour, Millbank 1996–98), councillor forWoolwich West on London County Council (1958–61); Greenwich (1970–73) and Woolwich East (1973–86) on Greater London Council[41]
^Youngs, Frederic (1979).Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society.ISBN0901050679.
^All facts below are taken from the description of facts as printed in the decision of the Judicial Appealate Committee of the House of Lords of the Westminster Parliament in Porter v Magill [2002] 2 AC 357, and are repeated here under absolute privilege
^Rosenberg, Jonathan (1998).Against the odds. London: WECH.ISBN0-9533073-0-1.
^"Compositions Calculator".The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved21 May 2025. (Put "Westminster" in search box to see specific results.)
