London Calling? The Mayor of London at 25

As the London mayoralty passes its twenty‐five‐year anniversary, has it been a success? Despite a global platform, the office was originally seen as underpowered, trapped between central government above and the boroughs below. Opinion is now divided as to whether the office offers a chance to generate spectacles or has the power to enact real change. In this article, we assess these positions, finding that the Mayor of London has succeeded against the institutional odds. Despite constrained powers, drawing on David Sweeting's model, we argue that direct election, individual leadership and security of office have allowed successive mayors to develop a powerful combination of place‐based leadership, policy and vision. In this way, the Mayor of London offers a strong model amid the overcentralised landscape of subnational governance in England.