Lord Mayor of London

Lord Mayor Of London

The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of (and head of) the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and as such governs a much larger area. Within the City of London, the Lord Mayor has precedence over other individuals and has various special powers, rights and privileges.

In 2006 the Corporation of London changed its name to the City of London Corporation. At the same time the title Lord Mayor of the City of London came into use, partly to avoid confusion with the Mayor of London. However, the legal and commonly used title remains the Lord Mayor of London.

The Lord Mayor is elected each year at Michaelmas 'Common Hall', and takes office on the Friday before the second Saturday in November, at 'The Silent Ceremony'. On the day after taking office, the Lord Mayor's Show is held; the Lord Mayor, preceded by a procession, travels to the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand, Westminster to swear allegiance to the Sovereign in the presence of the judges of the High Court.

The Lord Mayor's main role is, as it has been for centuries, to represent, support and promote the businesses and the people of the City of London. Today, these businesses are mainly in the financial sector and the Lord Mayor is seen as the champion of the entire UK-based financial sector regardless of ownership and location within the country. As head of the Corporation of the City of London, the Lord Mayor is the key spokesman for the local authority and also has important ceremonial and social responsibilities. He is apolitical, which gives added credibility at home and abroad when representing the financial sector. He gives over 800 speeches in the year and spends over 100 days abroad in some 22 countries. The Lord Mayor is also the Chancellor of the City University of London and is assisted in the daily operation of the city by the leading personnel for the City of London whose titles are the Town Clerk and Chief Executive, Chamberlain and Remembrancer.

The Lord Mayor for 2011–12 is Alderman David Wootton.