The Mayor of London has today announced that Val Shawcross CBE will be retiring as London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport. Val will be stepping back from full-time public life after 18 years at the GLA.

Sadiq Khan paid tribute to Val for her exceptional service to Londoners, as Leader of Croydon Council, then as a London Assembly Member for 16 years, including eight years as chair of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, and as Deputy Mayor for Transport since 2016. He recognised the deep expertise she has brought to the Mayor’s office and the GLA overseeing London’s transport network.

The Mayor is also announcing he is appointing Heidi Alexander MP as Val’s successor as Deputy Mayor. A previous Deputy Mayor of Lewisham and member of London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee, Heidi has been MP for Lewisham East since 2010, and was Shadow Secretary for Health.

Val will retire in the summer, with Heidi taking over.  In law it is not possible for Heidi to be both Deputy Mayor and an MP, so she will stand down as a MP before taking up her post.  Sadiq also in due course intends to nominate Heidi to succeed Val as the Deputy Chair of Transport for London.