Easter Bulletin from the Lord Mayor 2022

Fellow Liverymen,

It gave me enormous pleasure to be in St Paul’s Cathedral this month for the United Guilds Service, the first such gathering since March 2019, and to look out, as I read the Lesson, at our Livery family filling the church with colour and splendour. The service was a moving occasion to reflect on all that has passed over the last two years of the pandemic, to remember those who have died and to recall the solidarity, determination, generosity and kindness with which the Livery has faced the challenge of COVID19.

The previous evening the Lady Mayoress and I were delighted to welcome to Mansion House the Masters, Prime Wardens and Upper Bailiff of the Livery Companies for our traditional annual dinner, resurrected after an interruption of three years. It was the largest event we have held in the Egyptian Hall since the pandemic began and it truly allowed us to feel that normality, or perhaps more accurately, the new normality, is returning to the City. Amanda and I have enjoyed immensely these first few months of our Mayoralty, and particularly the greater freedom with which we are able to meet you and join you at your events and activities. And we have been hugely grateful for the support you are showing us, not least for the Lady Mayoress’s Sleep Out in Guildhall Yard last month, which has now raised over £100,000 for homeless charities and the Lord Mayor’s Appeal. Thank you!

I also want to acknowledge the Livery’s generous and inspiring support for the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine. We have all been horrified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and by its appalling impact. I know that I personally have been very moved by the courage of the Ukrainian people and heartened by the generosity shown by so many in this country, not least among them my fellow liverymen.

The rapid response of the Livery in the first few weeks of the crisis has seen donations of more than £630,000 by companies to international aid agencies and other charities, with more yet to come. This means that, with the Corporation’s own donations, the collective contribution of the Civic City is likely to reach at least £1million. I know too that many companies will be looking at ways in which they might offer in-kind support, not least as refugees begin to arrive in this country in greater numbers. As with Covid, liverymen are demonstrating just what a difference they can make and I am confident that together we will be able to make a positive contribution in this distressing situation.

You will know that City-wide elections were held last month, as a result of which a number of new representatives were elected to the Court of Common Council. I thank the Livery for your participation in the elections and look forward to working in this new session with my colleagues on the Court, old and new, to promote the interests of the City of London and its residents and businesses. You can find the election results here: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-us/voting-elections/elections-results.

There will also be several Aldermanic elections coming up this year, three of which will take place at the end of May. We are keen that liverymen engage with all City elections, whether as candidates, voters or supporters, and that the voice of the Livery is heard in the City’s governing institutions, alongside those of all the Square Mile’s communities. Further details on the timings of these three Aldermanic elections, together with information on how to stand as a candidate, may be found here: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-us/voting-elections/forthcoming-elections.

As we approach Easter, the Lady Mayoress and I hope that the long weekend will give you all an opportunity to recharge and renew for what will no doubt be a busy spring and summer. I am preparing myself for a hectic few months of international travel – with visits to Latin America, Asia and the World Economic Forum - and domestic commitments, including the annual Masters Weekend, this year taking place in Sheffield, and Common Hall for the Election of Sheriffs in June. We are much looking forward to seeing you in the coming months.

Amanda joins me in sending you our warmest wishes for a happy Easter.

Alderman Vincent Keaveny, The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of London

Picture: The Lord Mayor with the Masters of the Skinners and Merchant Taylors companies, following the recent ceremony at Mansion House which confirms the annual change in precedence between the two companies. The Lord Mayor’s ruling sees the companies switch between sixth and seventh places in the order of precedence and takes effect on Easter Day.