The London Assembly (Plenary) meeting scheduled for Thursday 5 March 2026 was set to cover a range of topics, including a question and answer session on London's economy, jobs, and growth, consideration of petitions and motions, and the reappointment of independent persons. The agenda also included standard procedural items such as apologies for absence and declarations of interest.

Question and Answer Session: London's Economy, Jobs and Growth and the Mayor's Growth Plan

A significant portion of the meeting was scheduled to be dedicated to a question and answer session focusing on London's Economy, Jobs and Growth and the Mayor's Growth Plan. Assembly Members were due to put questions to a panel of guests. This panel was set to include Howard Dawber OBE, Deputy Mayor for Business and Growth at the Greater London Authority, and a second panel comprising Kate Nicholls OBE, Chair of UKHospitality, and Muniya Barua, Deputy Chief Executive of BusinessLDN. Following the question and answer session, a motion was to be considered: That the Assembly notes the answers to the questions asked.

Petitions

The Assembly was scheduled to consider petitions presented by Assembly Members. The report indicated that the Assembly would be recommended to note the petitions, decide whether to refer them to relevant bodies, and seek responses to the points raised. One petition, presented by Alessandro Georgiou AM and organised by Andrew Boff, called on the Mayor of London to abandon proposals to release London's Green Belt for development, citing concerns about biodiversity, carbon capture, flood prevention, and mental wellbeing. It also opposed Transport for London's proposals to develop housing on park land. Another petition, presented by Lord Bailey AM, urged Transport for London and the Mayor to implement traffic calming measures on Finborough Road, including speed-calming measures at crossings, urgent pavement repairs, and a safe pedestrian crossing on Old Brompton Road, citing safety concerns for pedestrians and children.

Motions

The meeting agenda included a section for the consideration of motions submitted by Assembly Members. Several motions were scheduled for discussion:

• A motion proposed by Susan Hall AM and Alessandro Georgiou AM, which was intended to congratulate the Government on its commitment to policy flexibility and noted a series of U-turns in government policy. The motion aimed to highlight the damaging impact of policy uncertainty on London's economy and investment prospects, and called on the Mayor to raise these concerns with government counterparts.
• A motion proposed by Neil Garratt AM and Susan Hall AM, expressing regret over the state of the UK economy and noting increases in unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, linked to the Government's decision to impose a Jobs Tax and increase National Insurance contributions. The motion called on the Government to reverse the National Insurance hike and produce a plan to tackle youth unemployment, and for the Mayor to lobby the Government accordingly.
• A motion proposed by Emma Best AM and Alessandro Georgiou AM, opposing the Chancellor's decision to freeze the salary threshold for Plan 2 student loan repayments for three years. The motion argued this was unfair to graduates, particularly those in London, and called on the Government to abolish real interest rates on Plan 2 Student Loans, and for the Mayor to publicly support this proposal.
• A motion proposed by Zoë Garbett AM and Hina Bokhari OBE AM, acknowledging the funding secured by Southall Black Sisters (SBS) for the London Holistic Advocacy Wrap Around Services (LHAWAS), which supports migrant women facing domestic abuse. The motion expressed concern about a six-month funding gap and called on the Mayor to guarantee ringfenced, long-term funding for 'by and for' organisations, engage in dialogue with these organisations, and establish transparent monitoring mechanisms.
• A motion proposed by Hina Bokhari OBE AM and Gareth Roberts AM, addressing the expected introduction of automated robotaxi services in London. It highlighted concerns about employment displacement, market stability, passenger safety, and accessibility for disabled Londoners. The motion called on the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) to commission a review of AI and automation's impact, convene an accessibility roundtable, and establish a Taxi and Private Hire Commissioner.
• A motion proposed by Elly Baker AM and Andrew Boff AM, welcoming the London Youth Assembly's advocacy for rolling out bleed kits on buses. The motion noted the life-saving impact of publicly accessible bleed control kits and called on TfL to work with the London Ambulance Service to install kits in bus stations, pilot them on selected bus routes, develop training for staff, and publish a plan for a broader rollout.

Reappointment of Independent Persons

The Assembly was scheduled to consider the reappointment of Independent Persons. The report recommended agreeing to extend the appointments of Suzanne McCarthy and Farhat Sadik as Independent Persons under Section 28(7) of the Localism Act 2011 until 30 April 2029. This matter was noted as a joint decision with the Mayor. It was also recommended that each Independent Person be paid an annual allowance of £1250.

Declarations of Interests

As is standard practice, the meeting was scheduled to begin with a review of declarations of interests. The Assembly was recommended to note the list of offices held by Assembly Members as disclosable pecuniary interests, and to note any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests or other relevant interests made by Members during the meeting.

Minutes

The minutes of the London Assembly (Plenary) meeting held on 29 January 2026 were scheduled for confirmation.

The meeting was scheduled to take place at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London, E16 1ZE.