London mayoral election 2016: What does the Mayor of London actually do?

With outgoing Mayor of London Boris Johnson arguably more famous for his gaffes and wild hair, few people could actually name many of his policies from his time in City Hall. With the election for the next Mayor coming up on 5 May, some Londoners may be asking what the role actually entails.

The Labour and Conservative front runners in the race, Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith, are promising a lot of big changes in their respective manifestos. They have proposed policies to deal with the housing crisis, problems with transport, and even guaranteeing more green spaces for people living in the city.

But can they follow through with all of these promises? IBTimes UK has taken a look at what powers the role actually has, and what the next Mayor of London could actually do to help the city.