Fortified by a pledge in Labour's General Election manifesto, the introduction of parish councils to London is a front-runner for inclusion in the eventual local government white paper.

Parish councils have seldom caught the urban imagination, and remain rare elsewhere in England's heavily-populated metropolitan areas. But ministers see them as a step towards achieving their ambitions to advance neighbourhood empowerment, so legislation removing the current legal barrier to parish councils in London is likely to be accompanied by a Government drive to stimulate public interest in them.