The City of London Corporation's Policy and Resources Committee has decided not to proceed with a review of ward boundaries at this time.
The decision was made during a meeting on Thursday, 22 October 2026, following a recommendation from a dedicated working party. The working party concluded that there was no material case for a review at the present moment. The report noted that worker growth in the City had not automatically led to an increase in registered voters, and the number of people on ward lists had remained broadly stable. While differences in the number of registered voters represented by each common councillor were not widespread across the city, Bazzishaw and Cordwainer wards stood out. However, these two wards alone were not considered sufficient reason to review all or part of the city's ward boundaries.
During the debate, a proposed amendment by Councillor Leyla Boulton sought to commit the council to reducing the number of councillors before the 2029 election and instructed officers to bring forward options. The primary reasons cited in her amendment were the need to reduce the size and increase the efficiency of the unusually large and unwieldy elected body
in time for the 2029 elections, especially in light of the dramatic drop in funding from 2029
due to the fair funding review
. She also argued that as the council asks the government, businesses, and residents for more tax revenue, it must demonstrate that we are prepared to reform ourselves first
. This amendment was defeated with 18 votes against and three in favour.
The committee then voted on the substantive recommendations of the working party, which were to not proceed with a ward boundary review. This recommendation was approved with 20 votes in favour and three against.
The working party had considered changes to ward boundaries, names, the number of councillors per ward, or the total number of councillors. However, changes to the number of wards or aldermen were outside the scope of the review, as these would require primary legislation.
Arguments against a review at this time included that worker growth in the City had not automatically led to an increase in registered voters, and the number of people on ward lists had remained broadly stable. Some members felt strongly that the overall number of councillors should be altered, but it was agreed that this should be considered alongside other wider reforms, such as franchise reviews, which would require primary legislation and could take considerable time. The City of London has 100 common councillors and 25 aldermen. The decision to link changes to the overall number of councillors to wider reforms means that this consideration would require primary legislation and could take considerable time.
Councillor Leyla Boulton's amendment sought to commit to reducing the number of councillors before the 2029 election and instructed officers to bring forward options, indicating a desire for action before the next election. However, the amendment was defeated.
'Wider reforms' and 'franchise reviews' that would require primary legislation and could take considerable time include changes to the number of wards or aldermen, and potentially reviewing the number of aldermen. The report also mentions that changes to the electoral system, parliamentary constituencies, or wider governance arrangements would require primary legislation.
Public reports pack 22nd-Oct-2026 13.45 Policy and Resources Committee.pdf