The Lord Mayor of Belfast is the leader and chairperson of Belfast City Council, elected annually from and by the city's 60 councillors. The Lord Mayor also serves as the representative of the city of Belfast, welcoming guests from across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The Lord Mayor's Parlour is traditionally situated in Belfast City Hall
The position that is now the Lord Mayor originated in 1613 in the town's Royal Charter as the Sovereign of Belfast. In 1842, this position was restyled the Mayor of Belfast. In 1892, four years after Belfast was granted city status, the position was given Lord Mayor status, making it one of only three cities on the island of Ireland having a Lord Mayor, the other two being Cork and Dublin. In 1929, it became one of only six cities in the United Kingdom to have a Lord Mayor styled "the Right Honourable". Until 1973 the position was held for three years, when it was reduced to its current term of one year. From 1921 until 1972, the Lord Mayor was automatically entitled to a seat in the Senate of Northern Ireland.
For most of the city's modern history, the position has been held by Unionists, with members of the Ulster Unionist Party holding the post for a total of 61 of the 67 years between 1921 and 1997. The first non-Unionist Lord Mayor since the partition of Ireland in 1921 was David Cook from the Alliance Party who was elected in 1978. The first nationalist Lord Mayor was not appointed until the election of Alban Maginness from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in 1997, while a Sinn Féin Lord Mayor was first elected in 2002. The loss of the Unionist majority on the Council in 1997 has resulted in a greater rotation of the position amongst the parties, which, like other elected positions within the Council such as Committee chairs, is now filled using the D'Hondt system.
Powers and duties
The Lord's Mayor's role comprises these powers and duties:[2]
In times of natural disaster the Lord Mayor may direct resources such as Police, Fire and Ambulance as they see fit
Presiding over meetings of the council and, in the case of equality of votes, the Lord Mayor has a second or casting vote
Promoting and raising awareness of the council's main objectives and priority issues
Encouraging and supporting all aspects of life in Belfast by attending civic and public events
Receiving distinguished visitors to the city
Acting as host on behalf of the council and the citizens of Belfast at civic functions
Acting as a spokesperson to the local, national and international media
Providing an appropriate response on behalf of Belfast at times of local, national and international catastrophe
Supporting and encouraging charitable and other appeals as appropriate
Promoting Belfast's business, commercial, cultural and social life
Promoting Belfast as a place of excellence in which to do business and as a tourist destination.
Deputy Lord Mayor
The position of Deputy Lord Mayor has a representative role within the city along with the Lord Mayor. When the Lord Mayor is unavailable for whatever reason, it is the responsibility of the Deputy Lord Mayor to carry out the representative functions of the Lord Mayor.
While the Deputy Lord Mayor is in office, they combine their mayoral responsibilities with their responsibilities as a councillor, such as serving on Council Committees.
^"How to address the Lord Mayor". Belfast City Council. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
^"Lord Mayor". Belfast City Council. Archived from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
^Benn, George (2008). A History of the Town of Belfast: From the Earliest Times to the Close of the Eighteenth Century. Oxford: Blackstaff Press. ISBN 978-0856408328.
^"Fletcher of Cockermouth Hall, Cumberland, England". RootsWeb. 5 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2 November 2018.
^"Former Mayors (1842 to 1891)". Belfast City Council. Archived from the original on 1 June 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
^"Former Lord Mayors (1892 to 2008)". Belfast City Council. Archived from the original on 14 March 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
