London

London is the UK financial, business and cultural capital, and the driving force for the UK economy. With a total area of 174 km2 and a population of 7.3 million inhabitants, the UK’s capital is a very diverse city. Indeed, one in four Londoners are from ethnic minority groups, 25% of people working in London were born overseas and over 300 languages are spoken in London.

Over the last decade the capital has witnessed formidable economic growth. London's GDP - at €259 billion - is larger than Finland’s, Portugal’s or the Republic of Ireland’s one. London accounts for 17% of the UK's GDP.

However, the capital has the highest poverty rate in England, and some of the worst housing, public health and homelessness in the UK. Across London, 30.3% of working age people are currently not in employment, 20% of Londoner’s aged 16-19 do not have any qualifications and 30% of working age adults are in income poverty after housing costs are taken into account.

In London, 95 wards (the smallest electoral unit in the UK) in 13 of the most disadvantaged boroughs are eligible for assistance from Objective 2 of the Structural Funds. The area has a population of over 800,000 people. It comprises four sub areas; West London (Hammersmith, Fulham, Brent and Ealing), Upper Lee (Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest), Inner East (Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets) and Outer Thames Gateway (Greenwich, Bexley, Havering, and Barking and Dagenham).

Regional government in London takes the view that deprived areas in London are great areas of opportunity. Untapped potential, skills and markets are there, waiting to be exploited for the benefit of the local community.

London’s administrative structures have undergone significant changes in recent years. At the local level, London is divided into 32 boroughs (created in 1965) plus the Corporation of London, which administers the City of London, the world's leading international financial and business centre.

Since May 2000, London has a new strategic authority, with a directly elected Mayor and Assembly. Together, the Mayor and the Assembly comprise the Greater London Authority (GLA). While the Mayor has a role in defining clear strategies for London, the boroughs continue to provide the majority of day-to-day services for the city’s residents.

The Mayor has responsibilities in eight main areas: transport, planning, economic development and regeneration, the environment, police, fire and emergency planning, culture and health. The Mayor exercises his/her powers over transport and economic development through two executive bodies: Transport for London (TfL) and the London Development Agency (LDA). The Mayor is responsible for producing an Economic Development Strategy (EDS) for London. This complements the London Plan, and sets out a plan for the sustainable, equitable and healthy growth and development of London’s economy to 2016. The London Development Agency (LDA) writes the EDS on behalf of the Mayor.