The new mayor of London may have jumped on the Brexit backlash to call for extra devolution for the city in light of its strong remain vote, but he is late to the party. For many in London-based local government the devolution journey has been a long one, peppered with the ups and downs of reorganisation, dating back to the Greater London Council (GLC) and beyond.

Islington LBC chief executive Lesley Seary has spent a career on the London government roller coaster, kicking off as an admin assistant at the GLC.