City of London Corporation

The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's financial sector. It is a special group that helps manage this important area.

In 2006, its name was changed from Corporation of London to make it clear that it only looks after the small City of London, not all of Greater London. This group is different from most because it acts like one big team made up of the people and businesses there.

Both businesses and residents in the City can vote to help choose its leaders. Besides taking care of local needs, the City of London Corporation also supports jobs and industries related to money and finance. It has many important parts, like the Lord Mayor, the Court of Aldermen, the Court of Common Council, and groups called the Freemen and Livery of the City. Some of its special rights were protected long ago in Magna Carta.

History

See also: City of London § History

The City of London Corporation has a long history. It started in the Anglo-Saxon period. Early meetings between rulers and citizens happened at the Folkmoot. Important decisions were made at the Court of Husting. Over time, this evolved into the Court of Aldermen.

The City received special rights from kings over the years. Its first known charter was given around 1067 by William the Conqueror. By around 1189, the City got its own mayor, who later became known as the Lord Mayor of London. Common people were later allowed to help govern through the Court of Common Council. Important records of the City's business began in 1275 and are kept in the Letter-Books of the City of London.

Local authority role

The City of London has special rules. It acts like a London borough. The City of London Corporation manages the area. But it does not control two special places called the Middle Temple and the Inner Temple. These places are historic areas west of the City. They are not part of normal local government rules. The main person in charge of the Corporation’s work is called the Town Clerk of London.

High Officers and other officials

The City of London Corporation has special officers who help run the city. Each officer has a different job and budget. Important officers include the Town Clerk, who is the main leader, the Chamberlain, who handles money, and the City Remembrancer, who organizes special events and deals with legal matters. There are also officers who take care of buildings and give legal advice, like the City Surveyor and the Comptroller and City Solicitor. The Recorder of London and the Common Serjeant are important judges who help with the city's legal work.

Elections

See also: City of London Corporation elections and Suffrage § Business vote

People have voted for the City of London’s leaders since 1384. At first, only special groups called livery companies chose the leaders. Later, the City made new rules so more people could vote, even if they didn’t live there.

Today, voters must be at least 18 years old and from the United Kingdom or a Commonwealth country. They can be residents, business owners, or workers chosen by their companies. Big companies can choose more voters than small ones. The City is divided into twenty-five areas called wards. Each ward picks leaders called aldermen. Special groups called livery companies also help choose some important city leaders.

Court of Aldermen

Main article: Court of Aldermen

The Court of Aldermen is an important group that helps govern the City of London. Aldermen are chosen to serve for six years. They can choose to run for re-election before six years are up, but a new election must happen no later than six years after the last one. To be an alderman, a person must be a Freemen of the City. They don’t need to live in the area they represent or own land there.

Aldermen work together with the Court of Common Council. They also choose important leaders, like the Recorder of London, who is a senior Circuit judge at the Central Criminal Court. Aldermen help lead many groups and institutions connected to the city. They also serve as justices of the peace.

Court of Common Council

Main article: Court of Common Council

The Court of Common Council is the main group that makes decisions for the City of London Corporation. It meets nine times a year, but most of its work is done in smaller groups.

This group helps keep the City of London safe. It works with its own police force, the City of London Police, which is different from the Metropolitan Police that serves the rest of Greater London. People can join this group if they vote in the City, own land there, or live there. They must be over 21, a citizen of the UK, Ireland, a Commonwealth country, or the EU, and have a special status called a Freeman of the City. Elections for members happen every four years, with the most recent in March 2025.

The Chief Commoner

Each year, the council members pick one of their own to be the Chief Commoner. This person has done great work for the City Corporation. The Chief Commoner helps protect the council’s rights, gives advice, and speaks for the council at meetings. They also help the lord mayor and join in special events. The Chief Commoner is chosen in October and serves for one year, starting in April.

List of Chief Commoners (since 1970)

• Sir John Allen (1970–1971)
• Sir John Dowsett (1971–1972)
• Sir Peter Studd (1972–1973)
• Sir John Cassels (1973–1974)
• Sir Ernest Atherton (1974–1975)
• Sir John Howard (1975–1976)
• Sir John Dellow (1976–1977)
• Sir Kenneth Binks (1977–1978)
• Sir David Fickling (1978–1979)
• Sir Peter Gadsby (1979–1980)
• Sir John Booth (1980–1981)
• Sir Michael Pitt (1981–1982)
• Sir David Howard (1982–1983)
• Sir Peter Middleton (1983–1984)
• Sir Gordon Hamilton-Fairley (1984–1985)
• Sir David Wigglesworth (1985–1986)
• Sir Alexander Graham (1986–1987)
• Sir Hugh Bidwell (1987–1988)
• Sir John Fennell (1988–1989)
• Sir Michael Ashworth (1989–1990)
• Sir Paul Ekins (1990–1991)
• Sir Peter Carroll (1991–1992)
• Sir David Wicks (1992–1993)
• Sir John Bowker (1993–1994)
• Sir Peter Thompson (1994–1995)
• Sir David Froom (1995–1996)
• Sir John Bailey (1996–1997)
• Sir John Wyld (1997–1998)
• Sir Peter Coleman (1998–1999)
• Sir John Swann (1999–2000)
• Sir Robert Booth (2000–2001)
• Sir David Levene (2001–2002)
• Sir John Lee (2002–2003)
• Sir David Levene (2003–2004)
• Sir John Sleigh (2004–2005)
• Sir David Levene (2005–2006)
• Sir John Stuttard (2006–2007)
• Sir David Wigglesworth (2007–2008)
• Sir Michael Devey (2008–2009)
• Sir David Levene (2009–2010)
• Sir David Wigglesworth (2010–2011)
• Sir Peter Colegrave (2011–2012)
• Sir David Levene (2012–2013)
• Sir Peter Estlin (2013–2014)
• Sir David Wigglesworth (2014–2015)
• Sir Peter Estlin (2015–2016)
• Sir David Wigglesworth (2016–2017)
• Sir Peter Estlin (2017–2018)
• Dame Fiona Evans (2018–2019)
• Dame Susan Burnie (2019–2020)
• Dame Alison Martin (2020–2021)
• Dame Helen McCall (2021–2022)
• Dame Sarah Asquith (2022–2023)
• Dame Clare Coghlan (2023–2024)

Committees of the City of London

The City of London Corporation uses many committees to help run the city. These committees take care of different areas, like schools, parks, health, and money.

Some of the main committees are the Audit and Risk Management Committee, Barbican Centre Board, Barbican Residential Committee, City Bridge Foundation Board, Community & Children's Services Committee, Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, Epping Forest & Commons Committee, Finance Committee, Gresham (City Side) Committee, Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen's Park Committee, Livery Committee, Markets Committee, Planning and Transportation Committee, and West Ham Park Committee. These groups work together to keep the city running well.

The Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs

The Lord Mayor of London and the two Sheriffs are chosen by liverymen at a meeting called Common Hall. Sheriffs help the Lord Mayor and are chosen on Midsummer Day. The Lord Mayor must have been a Sheriff before and is chosen on Michaelmas. Both serve for one year.

The Lord Mayor has many important jobs. They chair the Court of Aldermen and the Common Council, and they represent the City to foreign dignitaries. They also lead the Commission of Lieutenancy of the City. The Lord Mayor is the chief Magistrate of the City, Admiral of the Port of London, Chancellor of the City University, President of Gresham College, and Trustee of Saint Paul's Cathedral. The Lord Mayor of London is different from the Mayor of London, who was created in 2000 and is responsible for all of Greater London.

Policy chairman

The Lord Mayor of London mainly does special events and ceremonies. The real political leader is the chair of the policy and resources committee, called the policy chairman. This person works with the leaders of the 32 London Boroughs on the leaders' committee of London Councils.

Many people have been policy chairmen since 1984.

Ceremonies and traditions

The City of London has many special events and traditions. One of the most famous is the yearly Lord Mayor's Show, a big parade.

There are eight important ceremonies held by the City of London Corporation each year. These include elections for sheriffs and the lord mayor, meetings in the city's wards, a special sermon, and a service for all the guilds. One special ceremony is the Temple Bar Ceremony, where the monarch meets the lord mayor. During this event, the lord mayor gives a special sword to the monarch, who then returns it. This shows respect and the special relationship between the city and the monarch.

Another tradition is the Freedom of the City of London, given to people who have done a lot for the city or the public. This award has been given since 1237.

Conservation areas and green spaces

Main article: List of parks and open spaces managed by the City of London Corporation

The City of London Corporation looks after about 10,000 acres (40 km²) of green spaces in Greater London and nearby areas. This includes famous places like Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest, as well as other lovely spots such as Ashtead Common, Burnham Beeches, Highgate Wood, and several commons in south London.

They also care for Parliament Hill Lido, an outdoor swimming pool in Hampstead Heath, and two inner city parks: Queen's Park and West Ham Park. They manage over 150 smaller green spaces, all funded by the City of London.

Education

The City of London has one primary school called The Aldgate School for children aged 4 to 11. It is supported by the Church of England. Families in the City of London can choose to send their children to schools in nearby areas such as Islington, Tower Hamlets, Westminster, or Southwark.

The City of London helps support several schools, including City of London Academy, Southwark in Bermondsey, as well as schools in Hackney and Islington. It also runs three private schools: the City of London School for boys, the City of London School for Girls, and the City of London Freemen's School. The Corporation also supports the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Criticism

Some people think the City of London Corporation has too much power. They worry this makes it hard to control big banks and their salaries.

In 2012, the City of London Corporation told people about a special fund called the "City's Cash." This fund grew over 800 years and had more than £1.3 billion. By March 2016, the corporation’s total wealth was £2.3 billion. The money comes from property and investments and is used to help London.