London Partnership Register

The London Partnership Register was set up by Ken Livingstone, then Mayor of London in 2001, following a suggestion from Assembly Member Darren Johnson. It had no legal standing but enabled couples to register their partnerships at the Greater London Authority Headquarters (initially in Marsham Street, Westminster, and from 2002 at the much more prestigious surroundings of City Hall, near Tower Bridge). it was aimed primarily at same-sex couples, but opposite-sex couples were also permitted to sign.

Ceremonies were often conducted by a celebrant employed by the couple (unlike marriages and civil partnerships, where the ceremony is conducted by the official registrar). However a GLA registrar was always present to sign the register and the certificates.

The register closed in 2004 with the passing of the Civil Partnership Act 2004; 998 couples had registered under the scheme.