Each year the livery has a real part in choosing the Lord Mayor of London. It is not quite the vote that people often assume.
When and where
According to the Livery Committee, the election takes place on Michaelmas Day, 29 September, unless that falls on a weekend. Liverymen meet in Common Hall at the Guildhall, after a service at St Lawrence Jewry.
How it works
- The Common Serjeant reads the names of the Aldermen below the Chair who have previously served as Sheriff.
- The livery is told to return two of those names to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen.
- The Lord Mayor and Aldermen then select which one will serve as Lord Mayor for the coming year. The Aldermen ballot in the Print Room, and the Recorder declares the result.
The City of London Corporation puts it this way: liverymen endorse the election of the Lord Mayor.
Who can be Lord Mayor
The candidate must be an Alderman who has served as Sheriff, a requirement that dates back to a regulation of 1385.
The Sheriffs
Liverymen do elect the two Sheriffs, at Common Hall on Midsummer Day. The Sheriffs take office on 28 September.
2026
Alderman Bronek Masojada was elected the 698th Lord Mayor on 29 September 2026 and takes office at the Silent Ceremony on 13 November.
Rules on who can vote depend on livery membership and registration, so check with your Company or Guildhall Electoral Services.