Agenda item

Resolved Unanimously:- That, upon his retirement as Alderman for the Ward of Langbourn, this Court desires to place on record its most sincere appreciation of the service that Alderman Sir David Wootton has given to the City Corporation and, in particular, to this Court, over the past twenty-one years.

His service with the Corporation began when he was first elected to the Court of Common Council for the Ward of Farringdon Within in 2002. Subsequently, in 2005, he was admitted to this Court as Alderman for the Ward of Langbourn. In 2009, Sir David was elected to the Office of Sheriff of the City of London and, in 2012, he became the City’s 684th Lord Mayor. Sir David’s Mayoral year was littered with once-in-a-lifetime events such as her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the London Olympic and Paralympic games. During his Mayoralty, Sir David worked tirelessly as an ambassador and strived, both at home and abroad, to promote the City and the UK as a key business centre, ensuring it was ‘Fit for the Future – the title of his Mayoral theme. He was knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to legal business, charity and the City of London.

A proud Yorkshireman, Sir David was born in Bradford and began his early education at Bradford Grammar School before attending Jesus College, Cambridge, to read Classics and then Law. A lawyer by profession, he was a partner at Allen & Overy from 1979 to 2015,  specialising in corporate transactions and corporate governance.

Continuing this passion for governance, Sir David has served on numerous committees during his time with the Corporation. He has acted as Chairman or Deputy Chairman of a number of those, including, most notably,  Deputy Chairman of the Finance Committee and long-serving Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen where I know that his immense knowledge, expertise and sage advice was often called upon and much appreciated by all on this Court.

Sir David has always made time throughout his impressive professional and civic career to devote to charitable and community activities in promotion of both education and sport as a reflection of his own personal interests. Sir David is himself a keen rower - until he became Lord Mayor he endeavoured to row back to his Cambridge college (where he had once captained the boat club) each year with his contemporaries.

Far from rowing back from any aspects of civic life, however, Sir David is also a very keen supporter of the Livery. He is a member of several livery companies and Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Fletchers, the Solicitors' Company, the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, the Guild of Freemen, the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass, the Worshipful Company of Woolmen and the Company of Watermen and Lightermen – not far off of a ‘full Parmley’.

On taking their leave, his colleagues take great pleasure in expressing to Sir David, to Liz and all of the family, their very best wishes for their future health and happiness with the hope that they will all long retain many happy memories of their civic life and all they have achieved for the City, the City Corporation and this Court.