Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London City of London Corporation | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Corporation logo: a stylised version of the arms | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Dame Susan Langley since 7 November 2025 | |
Ian Thomas since February 2023 | |
Policy chairman | Chris Hayward[2] since 5 May 2022 |
Chief Commoner | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 100 Common Councilmen 25 Aldermen |
 | |
Court of Common Council political groups |
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| Court of Aldermen committees | Privileges Committee, General Purposes Committee |
| Court of Common Council committees | List
|
| Elections | |
Last Court of Aldermen election | Varies – individual mandate, up to 6-year term of office |
Last Court of Common Council election | March 2025[3] |
| Meeting place | |
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| Guildhall, London | |
| Website | |
www | |
TheCity of London Corporation, officially and legally theMayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is thelocal authority of theCity of London, the historic centre ofLondon and the location of much of theUnited Kingdom'sfinancial sector.
In 2006, the name was changed fromCorporation of London to distinguish the body governing the City of London from theGreater London Authority, the regional government of the largerGreater London administrative area.[4] It is a corporation in the sense of being amunicipal corporation rather than a company; it is deemed to be the citizens and other eligible parties acting as one corporate body to manage the City's affairs. The corporation is based at theGuildhall.
Both businesses and residents of the City, or "Square Mile", are entitled to vote in corporation elections. In addition to its functions as the local authority (analogous to those undertaken by the 32boroughs that administer the rest ofGreater London) the City of London Corporation takes responsibility for supporting the financial services industry and representing its interests.[5] The corporation's structure includes theLord Mayor, theCourt of Aldermen, theCourt of Common Council, and theFreemen andLivery of the City.The "Liberties and Customs" of the City of London are guaranteed inMagna Carta's clause IX, which remains in statute.[6]
In the Anglo-Saxon period, consultation between London's rulers and its citizens took place at theFolkmoot. Administration and judicial processes were conducted at theCourt of Husting and the administrative part of the court's work evolved into the Court of Aldermen.[7]
There is no surviving record of a charter first establishing the corporation as a legal body, but the City is regarded as incorporated by prescription, meaning that the law presumes it to have been incorporated because it has for so long been regarded as such (e.g.Magna Carta states that "the City of London shall have/enjoy its ancient liberties").[8] The City of London Corporation has been granted various special privileges since theNorman Conquest,[9][10] and the Corporation's first recorded royal charter dates from around 1067, whenWilliam the Conqueror granted the citizens of London a charter confirming the rights and privileges that they had enjoyed since the time ofEdward the Confessor. Numerous subsequent royal charters over the centuries confirmed and extended the citizens' rights.[11]
Around 1189, the City gained the right to have its own mayor, later being advanced to the degree and style ofLord Mayor of London. Over time, theCourt of Aldermen sought increasing help from the City's commoners and this was eventually recognised with commoners being represented by the Court of Common Council, known by that name since at least as far back as 1376.[12] The earliest records of the business habits of the City'schamberlains and common clerks, and the proceedings of the courts of Common Council and Aldermen, begin in 1275, and are recorded in fifty volumes known as theLetter-Books of the City of London.[13]
The City of London Corporation had its privileges stripped by awritquo warranto underCharles II in 1683, but they were later restored and confirmedby Act of Parliament underWilliam III andMary II in 1690, after theGlorious Revolution.[14]
With growing demands on the Corporation and a corresponding need to raise local taxes from the commoners, the Common Council grew in importance and has been the principal governing body of the City of London since the 18th century.
In January 1898, the Common Council gained the full right to collect localrates when theCity of London Sewers Act 1897 transferred the powers and duties of theCommissioners of Sewers of the City of London to the Corporation. A separateCommission of Sewers was created for the City of London after theGreat Fire in 1666, and as well as the construction of drains it had responsibility for the prevention of flooding; paving, cleaning and lighting the City of London's streets; and churchyards and burials. The individual commissioners were previously nominated by the Corporation, but it was a separate body. The Corporation had earlier limited rating powers in relation to raising funds for theCity of London Police, as well as themilitia rate and some rates in relation to the general requirements of the Corporation.
The Corporation is unique among British local authorities for its continuous legal existence over many centuries, and for having the power to alter its own constitution, which is done by an Act of Common Council.[15]
Local government legislation often makes special provision for the City to be treated as aLondon borough and for the Common Council to act as a local authority. The Corporation does not have general authority over theMiddle Temple and theInner Temple, two of theInns of Court adjoining the west of the City which are historicextra-parochial areas, but many statutory functions of the Corporation are extended into these two areas.
The chief executive of the administrative side of the Corporation holds the ancient office ofTown Clerk of London.
Because of its accumulated wealth and responsibilities, the Corporation has a number of officers and officials unique to its structure who enjoy more autonomy than most local council officials,[citation needed] and each of whom has a separate budget:
There are others:
| City of London Elections Act 1724 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for regulating Elections within the City of London; and for preserving the Peace, good Order, and Government, of the said City. |
| Citation | 11 Geo. 1. c. 18 |
| Territorial extent | Great Britain |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 20 April 1725 |
| Commencement | 1 June 1725[a] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | |
Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| City of London Elections Act 1849 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to amend an Act passed in the Eleventh Year of the Reign of King George the First, for regulating Elections within the City of London, and for preserving the Peace, good Order, and Government of the said City. |
| Citation | 12 & 13 Vict. c. xciv |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 1 August 1849 |
| Commencement | 1 August 1849[b] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | City of London Elections Act 1724 |
| Amended by | |
Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The first direct elections to Common Council took place in 1384.[17] Before that date the representatives of the wards had been elected by the livery companies; originally they were merely appointed by the aldermen.[18]
The City of London Corporation was not reformed by theMunicipal Corporations Act 1835 (5 & 6 Will. 4. c. 76), because it had a more extensive electoral franchise than any other borough or city; in fact, it widened this further with its own equivalent legislation allowing one to become afreeman without being aliveryman.[citation needed] In 1801, the City had a population of about 130,000, but increasing development of the City as a central business district led to this falling to below 5,000 after the Second World War.[19] It has risen slightly to around 9,000 since, largely due to the development of theBarbican Estate. As it has not been affected by other municipal legislation over the period of time since then, its electoral practice has become increasingly anomalous.
Therefore, thenon-residential vote (orbusiness vote), abolished in the rest of the country in1969, became an increasingly large part of the electorate. The non-residential vote system used disfavoured incorporated companies. TheCity of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002 (c. vi) greatly increased the business franchise, allowing many more businesses to be represented. In 2009, the business vote was about 24,000, greatly exceeding residential voters.[20]
Eligible voters[21] must be at least 18 years old and a citizen of the United Kingdom, or aCommonwealth country, and either:
Each body or organisation, whether unincorporated or incorporated, whose premises are within the City of London may appoint a number of voters based on the number of workers it employs. Limited liability partnerships fall into this category.
Bodies employing fewer than ten workers may appoint one voter, those employing ten to fifty workers may appoint one voter for every five; those employing more than fifty workers may appoint ten voters and one additional voter for every fifty workers beyond the first fifty.
Though workers count as part of a workforce regardless of nationality, only certain individuals may be appointed as voters. Under section 5 of theCity of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002 (c. vi), the following are eligible to be appointed as voters (the qualifying date is 1 September of the year of the election):
Voters appointed by businesses who are also entitled to vote in alocal authority district other than the City, due to their residence in that district, maintain the right to vote in their 'home' district.
The City of London is divided into twenty-fivewards, each of which is an electoral division, electing onealderman and a number of councilmen based on the size of the electorate. The numbers below reflect the changes caused by the City of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002 (c. vi) and a recent[when?] ward boundary review.
There are over one hundredlivery companies in London. The companies originated asguilds or trade associations. The senior members of the livery companies, known asliverymen, form a special electorate known as Common Hall. Common Hall is the body that chooses the lord mayor, thesheriffs and certain other City officers.
Wards originally electedaldermen for life, but the term is now only six years. Aldermen may, if they so choose, submit to an election before the six-year period ends. In any case, an election must be held no later than six years after the previous election. The sole qualification for the office is that aldermen must beFreemen of the City;[23] candidates are not required to be a resident, leaseholder orfreehold owner of land in the ward in which they seek to run, nor even of the City of London.[24]
Alderman serve on the Court of Common Council concurrent with their service on the Court of Alderman. Additionally, they select theRecorder of London, the seniorCircuit judge on theCentral Criminal Court, who sits on the Court of Alderman, and serve of boards as governors and trustees for various institutions with connections to the city.[25] Alderman are alsoex officiojustices of the peace.
TheCourt of Common Council, also known as theCommon Council of the City of London, is formally referred to as theMayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled.[26] The "Court" is the primary decision-making body of the City of London Corporation and meets nine times per year, though most of its work is carried out by committees.[27]
The Common Council is thepolice authority for the City of London,[28] apolice area that covers the City including theInner Temple andMiddle Temple and which has its own police force – theCity of London Police – separate from theMetropolitan Police, which polices the remainder of Greater London.
Each ward may choose a number of common councilmen. A common councilman must be a registered voter in a City ward, own a freehold or lease land in the City, or reside in the City for the year prior to the election. The individual must also be over 21; aFreeman of the City;[29] and a British, Irish, Commonwealth or EU citizen.Common Council elections are held every four years, most recently in March 2022.[3] Common councilmen may use the postnominals CC.[30]
Each year, the common councilmen elect one of their number to serve as Chief Commoner, an honorific office which 'serves to recognise the distinguished contribution the office holder is likely to have made to the City Corporation over a period of years.'[31] The Chief Commoner is expected to champion the Court of Common Council, to work to uphold its rights and privileges, and to offer advice and counsel to its members. They also represent the court on various different committees, support the lord mayor in the business of the Corporation and are prominently present on ceremonial occasions. The Chief Commoner is elected in October of each year and holds office for one year from the following April.
The work of the City of London Corporation is primarily carried out through a range of committees:[33]
TheLord Mayor of London and the twoSheriffs are chosen byliverymen meeting at Common Hall. Sheriffs, who serve as assistants to the Lord Mayor, are chosen onMidsummer Day. The Lord Mayor, who must have previously been a Sheriff, is chosen onMichaelmas. Both the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs are chosen for terms of one year.
The Lord Mayor fulfils several roles:
The ancient and continuing office of Lord Mayor of London (with responsibility for the City of London) should not be confused with the office ofMayor of London (responsible for the whole ofGreater London and created in 2000).
The role of Lord Mayor of London is largely ceremonial. Political leadership on the corporation is instead provided by the chair of the policy and resources committee (also known as the policy chairman), who is sometimes described as the "de facto political leader". The policy chairman represents the City on the leaders' committee ofLondon Councils, alongside theleaders of the 32 London Boroughs.[34]
Since 1984, the policy chairmen have been:
| Member | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Rigby[35] | Independent | 1984 | 1991 | |
| Michael Cassidy[36] | Independent | 1991 | 1996 | |
| Judith Mayhew[37] | Independent | 1996 | 2003 | |
| Michael Snyder[38] | Independent | 2003 | 2008 | |
| Stuart Fraser[39] | Independent | May 2008 | 3 May 2012 | |
| Mark Boleat[40][41] | Independent | 3 May 2012 | 4 May 2017 | |
| Catherine McGuinness[42][43] | Independent | 4 May 2017 | 5 May 2022 | |
| Chris Hayward[44][2] | Independent | 5 May 2022 | ||
Stuart Fraser, the Corporation's Deputy Policy chairman wrote in 2011 "it is undoubtedly the case that we have more tradition and pageantry than most",[45] for example the yearlyLord Mayor's Show.
There are eight formal ceremonies involving the Corporation:
The historic ceremony of the monarch halting atTemple Bar and being met by the lord mayor, also called thePearl Sword Ceremony, has often featured in art and literature. It is commented on in televised coverage of modern-day royal ceremonial processions.
Tax journalistNicholas Shaxson described the ceremony in an article in theNew Statesman:[47]
Whenever The Queen makes a State entry to the City, she meets a red cord raised by City police at Temple Bar, and then engages in a colourful ceremony involving the Lord Mayor, hisSword, assorted Aldermen and Sheriffs, and a character called the Remembrancer. In this ceremony, the Lord Mayor recognises The Queen's authority, but the relationship is complex: as the corporation itself says: "The right of the City to run its own affairs was gradually won as concessions were gained from the Crown.
Both the Guildhall Historical Association[48] and Paul Jagger, author ofThe City of London Freeman's Guide[49] andCity of London: Secrets of the Square Mile[50] explain that it is incorrect to say that this is a symbol of the submission of the Crown to the City, with Jagger writing:
The Sovereign does not ask to be admitted. The carriage bearing the King or Queen does not halt without the bar, but drives straight across the boundary and halts just within the City. [...] Can the Press be deflected from their story of the Sovereign asking permission to enter the City! It has been repeated for well over a century. [...] The ceremony is an acknowledgement by the Mayer of the Queen's sovereignty in the City and may take place at the point of entry where it may be. It so happens the entry is most usually at Temple Bar. Wherever the Lord Mayor meets the Sovereign, if the sword is present, it should be surrendered.
Of all the myth and lore that envelopes the Square Mile perhaps none is more persistent than the idea that the Monarch has to ask to enter the City of London and may not do so without the permission of the Lord Mayor. [...] The genesis of this myth is likely to be the Ceremony of the Pearl Sword which has, from time to time, been held at the former site of Temple Bar on Fleet Street. During the ceremony the Monarch's carriage procession draws up, the City Police pull a red cord across the street where Temple Bar once stood, the royal procession stops, the Lord Mayor approaches the carriage and presents the hilt of the City's Pearl Sword to the Monarch who touches it and symbolically returns the sword to the Lord Mayor. This is act of feudal fealty in which the Lord Mayor surrenders his principal symbol of authority to the Monarch, who in turn (assuming she finds him suitably qualified to continue in office) returns the sword.[51]
The giving of the freedom of the city dates back to 1237. It is awarded to those who have significantly contributed to London and broader public life or to recognise significant achievements. One of the most recent persons to receive the award was Anna Landre in 2024, recognising her work in computer science and her disability campaigning.[52]
The City of London Corporation maintains around 10,000 acres (40 km2) of public green spaces[53] – mainly conservation areas / nature reserves – inGreater London and thesurrounding counties. The most well-known of the conservation areas areHampstead Heath andEpping Forest. Other areas includeAshtead Common,Burnham Beeches,Highgate Wood and the City Commons (seven commons in south London).[54][55]
The Corporation also runs the unheatedParliament Hill Lido, in Hampstead Heath which theLondon Residuary Body with the agreement of theLondon Boroughs gave into the safekeeping of the City, for the benefit of the public, in 1989.
The City also owns and manages two traditionalinner city parks:Queen's Park andWest Ham Park as well as over 150 smaller public green spaces. All these green spaces are funded principally by the City of London.[56]
The City of London has a single primary school,[57]The Aldgate School (ages 4 to 11),[58] which is voluntary aided by theChurch of England and maintained by theEducation Service of the City of London.
City of London residents may send their children to schools in neighbouringlocal education authorities (LEAs). Some secondary school children enrol in schools inIslington,Tower Hamlets,Westminster orSouthwark. Children who are permanent residents of the City of London are eligible for transfer to theCity of London Academy, Southwark, a state-funded secondary school sponsored by the City of London located inBermondsey. The City of London Corporation also sponsorsCity Academy, Hackney andCity of London Academy Islington.
The City of London controls three otherprivate schools – theCity of London School (for boys), theCity of London School for Girls, and the co-educationalCity of London Freemen's School. The Lord Mayor also holds the posts ofRector ofCity University andPresident ofGresham College, an educational institution for advanced study.
TheGuildhall School of Music and Drama is owned and funded by the Corporation.
Writing inThe Guardian,George Monbiot claimed that the corporation's power "helps to explain why regulation of the banks is scarcely better than it was before the crash, why there are no effective curbs on executive pay and bonuses and why successive governments fail to act against the UK's dependenttax havens" and suggested that its privileges could not withstand proper "public scrutiny".[59]
In December 2012, following criticism that it was insufficiently transparent about its finances, the City of London Corporation revealed that its "City's Cash" account – an endowment fund built up over the past 800 years that it says is used "for the benefit of London as a whole"[60] – holds more than £1.3bn. As of March 2016[update], it had net assets of £2.3bn.[61] The fund collects money made from the corporation's property and investment earnings.[62]
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)A person must also be a Freeman of the City of London, this can be granted quickly for potential candidates.
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