• THE picture of the City of London Corporation painted by Lord Lisvane in his “warts and all” report is not uplifting but he has shone a powerful beam of light into dark corners and has done great public service by doing so.

It is, we are informed, because the corporation wishes to “own” everything; or put another way, have power and control over everything in a system without a proper democratic franchise and a self-serving, control of misconduct by its members, condemned as unfit for purpose by numerous QCs.

He reveals a culture which resists the light of democratic, parliamentary, scrutiny and reform; of a structure which prompts him to speak of potential “reputational damage” arising from its oversight of massive charitable funds; something about which we yearn to learn more.

Unfortunately Lisvane says that because of its nature and opinion of itself he felt proscribed from calling for radical reform.

Sadly he proposes what amounts to a fudge. His proposal of possible greater involvement in City government by City livery companies is a step back to the past not a step away from it.

It would widen an already yawning democratic deficit. A lot of conflict could be avoided by placing the charitable funds under wholly independent trustees representing the interests of London as a whole.

ROBERT SUTHERLAND SMITH,
N2