Agenda item

a)     Emanuel School

To consider the appointment of a nominee to Emanuel School, for a three-year term expiring in October 2027.

(No Contest)

Nominations received:-

Paul Singh

b)    City & Guilds of London Institute

To approve the appointment of an Alderman to the City & Guilds of London Institute for a period ending April 2026.

a)    Emanuel School

The Town Clerk reported that this vacancy was recently advertised to the full Court of Common Council having previously been advertised to the Court of Aldermen. One expression of interest from Common Councillor Paul Singh had been received and his supporting statement had been circulated to all prior to the meeting. The Committee were now therefore asked to consider their support of Mr Singh as the Aldermanic nominee for the School to then consider his Governorship in accordance with their own internal processes.  

An Alderman spoke in favour of the nomination, noting that Mr Singh was also an alumnus of the School. They went on to ask, however, that consideration be given as to how all appointees to Aldermanic outside bodies might report back to the Court going forward.

An Alderwoman queried whether attendance records which were publicly available were a relevant consideration in making such nominations/appointments. The Chairman reiterated that, in this instance, a final decision would be taken by the School having first met with nominees and clarified to them the time commitment involved in their governorship. There were also mechanisms by which Outside Bodies could flag concerns as to attendance/levels of engagement with the Town Clerk and the Chairman of the General Purposes Committee.

In terms of reporting back and the system by which the Court of Aldermen appointed to Outside Bodies, the Chairman clarified that the Town Clerk would be reporting back on this in more detail in the new year.

b)    City & Guilds of London Institute

The Town Clerk reported that a nominee for the City & Guilds of London Institute for a term ending in April 2026 was sought in the room of Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli who was stepping down from this role after over a decade.

The Town Clerk undertook to circulate further details on the time commitment involved with the appointment and specific skills set sought.

In terms of wider appointments, the Chairman also reported that, by convention, the Senior Alderman Below the Chair (SABTAC) took up an Aldermanic spot on the Policy and Resources Committee after the Silent Ceremony – this would be Alderwoman Dame Susan Langley in this instance.

Finally, the Committee were asked to recommend the appointment of Alderman and Sheriff Gregory Jones as a Director of the Lord Mayor’s Show in his capacity as the new Aldermanic Sheriff.

RESOLVED – That the Committee:

a)    Agree to nominate Paul Singh CC to Emanuel School, for a three-year term expiring in October 2027;

b)    Defer the appointment of an Aldermanic representative on the City & Guilds of London Institute to their next meeting pending further information as to the likely time commitment, meeting patterns and skills set sought;

c)     Agree the appointment of Alderwoman Dame Susan Langley to one of the Aldermanic slots on the Policy and Resources Committee after the Silent Ceremony;

d)    Recommend the appointment of Alderman and Sheriff Gregory Jones as a Director of the Lord Mayor’s Show.