Lord Mayor of Leicester

The position of Lord Mayor of Leicester is a mainly ceremonial post, being the title of the chairman of the Leicester City Council, elected annually by the members of the council.

The role of Lord Mayor is in many ways similar to that carried out by the Speaker in the House of Commons.

From the Middle Ages until 1928 the title was simply Mayor of Leicester. Until the 19th century, the mayors were usually elected annually by the Corporation of Leicester. Since the development of forms of local democracy, the mayors and Lord Mayors of the city have been elected indirectly from among elected councillors and aldermen, but since 1971 no unelected aldermen have been entitled to vote.

History

The first mayor of Leicester was the Norman knight "Peter fitz Roger" (Peter son of Roger) in 1251.[1][2] The title was elevated to "Lord Mayor" by letters patent dated 10 July 1928.[3] This was confirmed for the reorganised non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974.[4]

The first Asian Lord Mayor of Leicester, Gordhan Parmar, was elected in 1987.[5] After institution of a directly elected mayor in 2011 the Lord Mayor of Leicester still exists as a ceremonial role under Leicester City Council.[6]

List of Mayors

Source: Roll of Mayors

Leicester county borough (created 1889)

20th Century

List of Lord Mayors

Leicester non-metropolitan district

References

  1. Agnes Johnson Glimpses of ancient Leicester - Page 60 1891 "The first Mayor of Leicester, A.D. 1251.
  2. The history of the boroughs and municipal corporations of the ... - Page 229 Henry Alworth Merewether, Archibald John Stephens - 1835 "The mayor of Leicester and his brethren, having, with the consent of the commonalty, by the last ordinance, placed the town under the government of the aldermen, appear, in the 4th year of the reign of King Henry VII., to have adopted 1488. a ..."
  3. The London Gazette: no. 33405. p. 4898. 20 June 1928. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
  4. The London Gazette: no. 46255. p. 4400. 4 April 1974. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
  5. What participation by foreign residents in public life at local ... - Page 91 Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe - 2000 "In 1981 serious riots broke out in the city that were dubbed "race riots" in Highfields and the City centre. ... In 1987 the first Asian Mayor of Leicester was elected, Councillor Gordhan Parmar and the first Asian Member of Parliament, Keith Vaz
  6. BBC Leicester's elected mayor reports lord mayor over parking August 2011