Fellow Liverymen
The City of London Corporation and its Livery companies have always had a special relationship with Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family. I am very fortunate to be the Lord Mayor at the time of the celebration of the Platinum Jubilee – not just a once in a life-time moment, but a once in our history occasion.
It has been a privilege to witness the Corporation and Livery companies playing their part in celebrating Her Majesty’s 70 years as Monarch. On the Friday of the Jubilee weekend, I stood on the steps of St Paul’s to welcome HRH The Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal Family to the cathedral for the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving.
Although The Queen was not able to attend in person, the service was a focal point of the weekend to recognise the dedicated and unstinting service which Her Majesty has given the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
HM The Queen has been a Freeman of the City for 75 years and we are very grateful for her support – and the support of the whole Royal Family – for the City of London. For more than seven decades, she has provided stability, continuity and unity and has been an example of duty and public service to us all. I would like to thank all livery companies who contributed to the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and who helped make them such a success.
On 11th and 12th of June the Lady Mayoress and I were delighted to join the National Livery Weekend. Traditionally, this weekend has taken place in Ironbridge, Shropshire. However, this year, we were kindly hosted by the Company of Cutlers of Hallamshire in Sheffield.
It was a brilliant weekend and I would like to put on record my sincere thanks to the Cutlers of Hallamshire, their Master James Tear and their Clerk, Colonel Philip Bates, for helping to make it such a success. The Lady Mayoress and I very much enjoyed getting to know better the Livery Masters and Consorts of our year, in such relaxed and accommodating circumstances. The Saturday visit to state-of-the-art industrial sites around South Yorkshire was a real highlight, as well as the Gala Dinner on Saturday night.
The weekend was an example of the Livery companies of the United Kingdom at their best. I re-kindled many existing friendships and made many new ones over the course of the weekend. I am very much looking forward to re-connecting with Masters and Consorts after my Mayoralty and continuing a long friendship with them.
One aspect of my Mayoral theme is promoting the positive social good that businesses can have in society. To that end, I hosted the Finance For Impact Summit in Mansion House on 18th July. The Summit aimed to showcase the work the finance industry can do to invest in causes which have a positive social impact, as well as share best practice for doing this. I hope the Summit helps persuade more businesses to consider how their investments make a lasting positive change in society. Business and philanthropy are a long-standing double act – and the charitable work of our livery companies is one of the best and most historic examples of this.
The following day, I was delighted to host the first Financial and Professional Services Dinner in Mansion House in three years. This is the occasion on which the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivers his ‘Mansion House Speech’. The new Chancellor, Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi MP, outlined the Government’s plans for financial services in the new Financial Services and Markets Bill. He also previewed the annual State of the Sector Report, which has been joint written by the City of London Corporation and the Treasury.
Although the mercury was touching nearly 40 degrees Celsius on the day, Mansion House was equipped with new air-conditioning units to keep guests cool. It was a fantastic evening and reminds us of the value of in-person events, where connections and conversations can flow freely. I was also delighted to welcome the Irish Finance Minister, Paschal Donohoe, to the dinner, as a reminder of the strong financial, cultural and social links which exist between our two nations.
Amanda and I would like to thank you for all the support and friendship you have extended to us in our year so far. We wish you a good summer break and a well-deserved rest and look forward to seeing many more of you in the City in September.
