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Comment by JumpCrisscross | Hacker News Reader

The City of London does this. For purely municipal matters, in places with a large commuter population, this can make sense—it gives voice to the people who work alongside those who live there. (Given present politics, a vote for workers might play better.)

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To elaborate a bit, "City of London" is not the city of London as one would normally imagine. It is a district only about a square mile large that contains the central business and financial district. It has very little residential zoning and fewer than 10,000 residents (compared to 10 million in greater London). A recent change in law *increased the number of businesses receiving voting power to 32,000, and they nominate a number of voters that scales with their number of employees (and the total far outweighs residential votes).

* Corrected wording to clarify that law change only increases the number of businesses — businesses have had the franchise in City of London for centuries. h/t JumpCrisscross

> recent law change allows for 32,000 businesses to receive voting power

If I remember correctly, the corporate vote traces precedent through guild votes.

I think nunneries and monasteries qualified as well. Maybe one of the first recorded women voting was an abbotess.

There's a big difference between giving a voice to "the people who work [there] " versus to the people who own businesses there.

> a big difference between giving a voice to "the people who work [there] " versus to the people who own businesses there

There is, and in it a tradeoff. The businesses will prioritise growth over liveability and working conditions. Workers working conditions; both will select for incumbency. Residents (within and without) want living conditions and, if they’re economically literate, competition in both business and labour.

It’s an interesting topic that doesn’t deserve dismissal at face value.

Depends. Can I set up a fish and chips truck to serve the lunch crowd in City of London and get a vote for that?

Do the workers get a vote, or just the corporation?

I think every person should have a say in the laws where they live, and that includes where they work. Sadly most people get one vote based on one address

Which do you think? Of course the corporations.

In Melbourne, Australia, the local government that covers the downtown area and a few surrounding suburbs gives 2 votes to businesses and 1 vote to residents. Guess what kind of policy exists? Highly pro business, growing inequality for residents.

> Which do you think? Of course the corporations.

uh, but it's not

the worker has the vote

(and I say this as one of them)

The City of London is an independent country within the UK, wholly surrounded by London.

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