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{{Short description|Political movement in the United Kingdom}}
[[File:United Kingdom EU referendum 2016 area results (Greater London).svg|thumb|right|261px|
{{legend|#0069b5|Leave}}
{{legend|#ffc010|Remain}}]]
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
'''London independence''', sometimes shortened to '''Londependence''' and '''Londexit''',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/eu-referendum/londependence/|title=
[[File:Flag of Greater London.svg|thumb|Banner of arms of the Greater London Council (1965–86)]]
==Movement==
[[File:SingaporeCBD9.jpg|250px|thumb|Supporters have often cited Singapore as a successful example for a fully-fledged and sovereign London.]]
London's status within the United Kingdom has been debated for several years, with some calls for increased autonomy,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2016/01/30/the-uk-needs-a-devolved-government-for-london/|title=The UK needs a devolved government for London|date=30 January 2016|access-date=25 June 2016|archive-date=29 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629023210/http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2016/01/30/the-uk-needs-a-devolved-government-for-london/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="theconversation">{{cite web|url=http://theconversation.com/london-after-brexit-independence-a-non-starter-but-special-status-could-protect-global-position-61609|title=London after Brexit: independence a non-starter but special status could protect global position|first=Richard G|last=Smith|access-date=25 June 2016|archive-date=26 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626134455/http://theconversation.com/london-after-brexit-independence-a-non-starter-but-special-status-could-protect-global-position-61609|url-status=live}}</ref> Supporters have frequently cited [[Greater London]]'s population of over 8 million people, its economic size, its global role, its diverse population and its unique challenges compared to the rest of
The movement for either increased autonomy or full sovereignty received a boost following the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum]] in 2016, during which the UK as a whole voted to leave the European Union (at under 52% leave), although the majority of London voted for the UK to remain in the EU (60% remain). This led to 180,000 Londoners petitioning [[Sadiq Khan]], [[Mayor of London]] online to seek London's independence from the UK so it could remain part of the EU. Supporters cite London's status as a "[[world city]]" and its demographic and economic differences from the rest of the United Kingdom, and argue that it should become a city-state based on the model of
[[Spencer Livermore|Spencer, Lord Livermore]] of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] said that London's independence "should be a goal", arguing that a Greater London city-state would have twice the GDP of Singapore.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/eu-referendum-london-independence_uk_576d4c57e4b0d257114993a2|title=London Independence Goes Beyond A Twitter Joke With Politicians Seriously Discussing It|date=24 June 2016|access-date=25 June 2016|archive-date=25 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625130009/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/eu-referendum-london-independence_uk_576d4c57e4b0d257114993a2|url-status=live}}</ref> Journalist [[Tony Travers]] argued that Khan would be "well within his rights to tell the government London didn't vote for Brexit and that City Hall now viewed the government as dysfunctional." Analyst Kevin Doran said that London becoming an independent state is not just possible, but inevitable "within 20 to 30 years' time."<ref>{{
After the EU referendum vote, Peter John, the Labour Party leader of the [[London Borough of Southwark]] stated it would be a "legitimate question" for London to consider its future in the United Kingdom and the European Union. Southwark had voted 72% in favour of remaining in the EU. John also said "London would be the 15th largest EU state, bigger than Austria, Denmark and Ireland and our values are in line with Europe – outward looking, confident of our place in the world, enriched by our diversity and stronger working together with our friends and neighbours than we are alone."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.southwarknews.co.uk/news/southwark-council-leader-backs-calls-london-consider-independence-uk-eu-referendum-result/|title=Southwark Council Leader backs calls for London to consider independence from UK after EU Referendum result|author=Alex Yeates|date=24 June 2016
Labour MP for [[Tottenham (UK Parliament constituency)|Tottenham]] [[David Lammy]] wrote a piece in the ''[[Evening Standard]]'' in March 2017 arguing in favour of London becoming a city state in the event of a [[Hard Brexit|Hard]] or [[No deal Brexit]].<ref>{{Cite
The Londependence Party is a registered political party and first stood candidates in the May 2021 London Assembly Elections. The party gained 5,746 votes<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 May 2021|title=London Assembly Final Results 2021|url=https://www.londonelects.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-05/London%20Assembly%20Final%20Results%202021.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=9 May 2021|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509092229/https://www.londonelects.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-05/London%20Assembly%20Final%20Results%202021.pdf}}</ref> on the London-wide list.
==Public opinion==
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center; line-height: 14px; font-size: 95%;"
|-
! style="width: 120px;" ! | Date(s)<br>conducted !! style="width: 300px;" |Polling organisation/client!! class="unsortable" style="width: 65px;" | Sample size!! class="unsortable" style="background:
|-
| data-sort-value="2016-07-06" | 1–6 July 2016 || [https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/4s7vvulwm6/EveningStandardResults_London_SadiqMayor_EURef_Housing_Independence_Website.pdf YouGov/Evening Standard] || 1,061 || 11% || 23% || style="background: rgb(153, 255, 153) " | '''32%'''
|-
| data-sort-value="2014-10-08" | 8–13 Oct 2014 || [https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/4s7vvulwm6/EveningStandardResults_London_SadiqMayor_EURef_Housing_Independence_Website.pdf YouGov/Evening Standard] || || 5% || style="background:
|}
A different survey of 2,001 people carried out by the firm Censuswide in September 2014 found that 19.9% of Londoners wanted the city to become independent, with support for this being highest among people aged 25–34.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/one-in-five-londoners-want-capital-to-split-from-rest-of-uk-and-become-independent-9722652.html |title='One in five Londoners want the capital to become independent' |last=Moore-Bridger |first=Benedict |date=10 September 2014 |publisher=Evening Standard |access-date=31 March 2017 |quote=19.9 per cent of the 2,001 people surveyed agree[d] it [London] would be better off as its own country. |archive-date=9 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409215608/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/one-in-five-londoners-want-capital-to-split-from-rest-of-uk-and-become-independent-9722652.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Criticism==
The idea of London independence has been criticised as unrealistic. Brian Groom of the ''[[Financial Times]]'' wrote that "it is ludicrous to think of any nation gladly waving goodbye to its capital", calling the idea of secession a "fantasy".<ref>{{cite web |last=Groom |first=Brian |date=26 August 2013 |title=Could London ever be a city-state? |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a97a4f1c-0a8b-11e3-aeab-00144feabdc0 |
Dr. James Ker-Lindsay, a senior research fellow at the [[London School of Economics]] who specialises in secession movements, stated with regard to a referendum on London Independence that it "seems difficult to see how any government would ever agree to such a vote." He also said if London broke away
==See also==
*[[Scottish independence]]
*[[Singapore-on-Thames]]
*[[Urban secession]]
*[[London Assembly]]
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{{United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016}}
{{London history}}{{Opinion polling for United Kingdom elections}}
[[Category:2016 in London]]
[[Category:Separatism in the United Kingdom]]
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