Lord Mayor of Oxford

The Lord Mayor is the first Citizen of the City of Oxford. The first recorded Mayor of Oxford is Turchillus, 1122-1123, and mayors' names stretch in an unbroken line until 1962 when the dignity of Lord Mayor was granted to Oxford by Queen Elizabeth ll. 

Who is currently the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor of Oxford?

Currently the Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Oxford is Councillor Susanna Pressel (above)

The Deputy Lord Mayor is Councillor Elise Benjamin (above)

What are the duties of the Lord Mayor?

The Lord Mayor represents the Council at civic and ceremonial events. He/she spends a great deal of time promoting the City, the key initiatives of the City Council and supporting a wide range of Oxford based voluntary and other organisations. 

The Lord Mayor generally carries out in excess of 300 engagements each year. These engagements cover a wide spectrum of events from high profile Royal visits and leading the City's annual Remembrance Sunday service, to small community group meetings and charity events. 

The Lord Mayor also chairs meetings of full council.

The post of Lord Mayor of Oxford is different to that of the Mayor of London in that it is a ceremonial post carrying no political power. The political head of the City Council is the Leader of the Council. 

How is the Lord Mayor Chosen?

The Lord Mayor is elected annually in May when all city councillors meet together at the Annual Meeting of Council. The Lord Mayor must be a councillor and is chosen on length of service. Each Lord Mayor's term of office is for one year, during which time he/she also continues their ward duties. 

Mayoral Invitations

The Lord Mayor welcomes invitations to attend events, no matter how small or large. If you have an event you would like the Lord Mayor to attend, please contact the Lord Mayor's Office using the contact details on the right of this page.

Unfortunately, due to demand, it is not possible for the Lord Mayor to attend every event to which he/she is invited. In these circumstances, it is generally possible for the Deputy Lord Mayor or the Sheriff of Oxford to attend instead. 

Page last reviewed 18 Jul 2008