New Lord Mayor of London elected

The 680th Lord Mayor of the City of London was elected yesterday. David Lewis, a lawyer and businessman will take up his position on 9 November and the following day will parade through the streets in a gold horse drawn coach during the annual Lord Mayor’s Show.

Among the idiosyncrasies Britain has to confuse visitors, there’s a Mayor of London and a Lord Mayor of the City of London, two positions with very different remits and powers for the person holding each job. The Lord Mayor elected yesterday is Head of the City of London which provides local government services for the area known as the Square Mile, London’s financial centre and the historic heart of the city since Roman times. The Mayor of London is elected by popular vote and has more political and economic control over the whole of Greater London.

The first Lord Mayor was elected in 1189 and the most well and storied is probably Dick Whittington, Lord Mayor in 1397, 1406 and 1419. Within the City of London the Lord Mayor carries a rank immediately below the Queen and throughout out his time in office will carry out numerous official engagements with visiting dignitaries.

The Lord Mayor is elected by representatives of the City of London’s Livery companies (trade associations) on a show of hands. The City has 25 wards which each have one alderman, the candidates for Lord Mayor must be aldermen who have also served as sheriffs of the City of London.

The Lord Mayor won’t take office until the Silent Ceremony takes place in the Guildhall’s Great Hall, this year on Friday 9 November. The next day is the Lord Mayor’s Show and on Monday 12 November the Prime Minister will speak at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet. Amongst ordinary Londoners the Lord Mayor’s profile is pretty low and I’m sure if you asked people in six months time who David Lewis is, most wouldn’t know. His big day will be in early November and the show is well worth attending.