The City of London is divided into 25 wards and 125 members are elected to represent them. Each ward elects one Alderman and two or more Common Councillors, depending on it’s population, totalling 100 Common Councillors and 25 Aldermen. Full City-wide elections are held every four years with By-elections and Aldermanic elections in between. Because the City has a relatively small number of residents compared to City workers, it has two categories of voters: resident and business. The number of votes each business is allocated is based on the number of full time employees they have working in each ward.
The City of London Wards find their origins in the Middle Ages. At the time, small areas within a city were able to act as self-governing communities with their own assemblies (Wardmote) and systems of public order (elected Beadles). The Romans built a defensive wall around the city of Londinium (London), which included 7 gates as a way to enter and exit the fortified town. These gates were Aldgate, Bishopsgate, Moorgate, Cripplegate, Aldersgate, Newgate and Ludgate. Sadly Bishopsgate, like many of the gates, was demolished in 1761.
Bishopsgate elects 1 Alderman and 6 Common Councillors. 3 represent Bishopsgate Within and 3 represent Bishopsgate Without, referencing the historic link to the gates within the wall and without (outside). Bishopsgate was referenced as ‘Porta Episcopi’ in the Doomsday book.
The Court of Common Council is the ‘town council’ of the City of London. Its work includes both the work of an ordinary local authority council and that arising from its historical status and tradition. It works through committees, like any other local authority, but it is unique in that it is non-party political. The City of London Corporation’s reach extends far beyond the Square Mile’s boundaries and across private, public and voluntary sector responsibilities. This, along with its independent and non-party political voice and convening power, enables us to promote the interests of people and organisations across London and the UK and play a valued role on the world stage, as an Ambassador for financial and professional services
Whether you are a resident of Bishopsgate Ward or simply curious about local politics, the Bishopsgate Ward Team website is a valuable resource for learning more about the candidates and the issues that matter to the community. Take a deeper dive into the local election process and discover the passion and dedication of the candidates running to make a difference in London's Bishopsgate Ward.
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