Chair's Remarks to Assembly, London Assembly Annual Meeting 7 May 2003

Speech by Sally Hamwee, Chair of the London Assembly delivered to London Assembly Members on Wed 7th May 2003

Sally Hamwee in the Chamber, City Hall

My crib sheet says at this point "inspirational speech from Chair" - implicitly "short inspirational speech", or even "short, inspirational but sufficiently anodyne that no-one feels need to respond"

Colleagues, the last three years have been the start not just of new strategic government for London but also of a new form of government - the executive / scrutiny split. Each of us will have our view as to whether those three years have lived down or lived up to our expectations. But now we come to the end of the beginning, it is a moment to reflect on the effectiveness of scrutiny.

The coming year will present its own challenges. Each group on the Assembly has - rightly - had its own political agenda. In the year running up to the next GLA elections we will all need as Assembly Members to find ways of sustaining distinctive political messages while carrying out our scrutiny role, and our role of investigating matters of importance to London, as a cohesive force.

The term "force" is deliberate. The Assembly is most effective when we are united, and for me it has been particularly rewarding when members have worked together, taking up the baton from one another to pin down an issue, regardless of political grouping - but then you may say I get my kicks in odd ways.

The year will test not only our success as scrutineers, but also the maturity of those we scrutinise, including of course the Mayor. It cannot be comfortable being scrutinised, but it is our job to scrutinise. And to scrutinise in public - to put both questions and answers into the public domain. Where we are in the political cycle should make no difference to the thoroughness of our work - neither more easy-going, nor more critical without sound cause. That will be the test of our own maturity. And where we are in the political cycle should make no difference to the Mayor's response to scrutiny - that will be the test of his maturity. And "the end of the beginning" will be a test of the whole of his Mayoralty.

I wish us all, executive and scrutiny, officers and staff, a successful year in which we all play our part in making London a better place.