In proper City tradition, as part of ringing the long change, we now begin easing out of office with the election of the 696th Lord Mayor, Alastair King, taking office on 7 November. Here’s my reply to the vote of thanks given to me for the year so far at Common Hall by Master World Trader, Michael Larsen.

“Fellow Aldermen, Mr Recorder, Sheriffs, Chief Commoner, Master World Trader, Masters, officers, Fellow Liverymen,

It has been an incredible honour to serve as the 695th Lord Mayor of the City of London…a place we now all term “the world’s oldest democratic worker’s and resident’s cooperative”. Thank you, Master World Trader, for your kind words. I am eternally grateful for the support of my mother livery.

I am especially pleased to be the first American and Italian citizen as Lord Mayor and, though I am immensely proud of my wider Irish and German heritage, as a Highland Bagpiper, I have been somewhat embarrassed by my lack of Scottishness.

So, I’m glad to be handing over the keys to Mansion House to a man of fine Aberdonian stock. Alastair and Florence, I know you will do an excellent job for our City. I am sure you will be as iconic a Lord Mayor as Dick Whittington. Whittington had his feline friend. You have your canine companion.

When I first took office as Lord Mayor, the Common Cryer and Serjeant at Arms, Major Peter Oweh, turned to me as I sat in the Rolls Royce and said, “Lord Mayor, this year is all about the ‘ols”. He didn’t mean ‘olidays. He meant protocol, alcohol, and cholesterol.

Indeed, some of you may recall that this time last year I joked that my tailor had offered to put a little extra “banqueting room” in my ceremonial robes. Though I am sad that my mayoralty is coming to an end, it is perhaps a good thing as no banqueting room remains.

As the Master World Trader noted, we – the City, the livery, the economy – have Connected AND Prospered so well this year. We have leveraged our City’s many connections; the many ‘Knowledge Miles’ of our Square Mile, the ‘world’s coffee house’, to create positive discussions about tackling global challenges.

From the success of the Ethical AI Initiative, which has seen more than 6,000 participants in 60 countries take our 12 hour course, the signing of the ‘Walbrook AI Accord’ by representatives of 38 countries, and the development of the ‘Coffee House Consensus’, drafted with the input of firms representing more than $26 trillion in assets under management, to our other initiatives with the 56 nations of the Commonwealth issuing their Common Space report supporting our Space Debris Removal Insurance Bonds proposal, Smart Economy Networks, Constructing Science, Sustainable Finance, and GALENOS for mental health research…our 100 ‘Knowledge Mile’ lectures, 25 ‘Coffee Colloquies’, science experiments, and the City Carbon Credit Cancellation Service – there is much to celebrate.

Highlights are many: the Bavarian Ball for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal…state banquets for the President of South Korea and the Emperor of Japan…the launch of the livery Linkedin Community, ‘Livery Experience’, international Livery-Coffee-Connect-Teas, Thames Day…Pepys Day…the Lord Mayor’s view of the boundary stones… and Proud to be a Freeman Days… Common Hall today is one! I hope some of these celebrations may well become annual fixtures.

The City of London is the world’s unofficial capital…and none of this would have been possible without the support of what is a global community. So, some thank you’s:

Firstly, to the late sheriffs, Sue and Bronek, and their consorts, Gary and Jane, for their unwavering dedication. To our new Sheriffs, Greg and David: I know you will have an equally fantastic year. Thank you, also, to my fellow Aldermen and the Court of Common Council for your steadfast support.

To all the excellent officers across the City Corporation who’ve pushed themselves to the limit to deliver a jam-packed programme. To our government officials, particularly our overseas ones. And to my fellow liverymen, who continue to display incredible hospitality, philanthropy, and – most importantly – forbearance when I list my ‘Connect To Prosper’ initiatives for the umpteenth time.

There are 40 days left for this mayoralty, and we intend to make full use of them…with trips to Latvia, Estonia, and Germany on the horizon, as well as the City Festival of Music, Invention & Knowledge, the International Investment Summit, the Defence & Security Lecture, and more.

All good things come to an end. In an ancient Roman triumph, the words “memento mori”…“remember you must die”…were whispered into the ear of victorious generals to ensure they remained grounded. One of the more poignant moments of my mayoralty was similar. Examining my vaccination card ahead of all my trips last year, the nurse checked off:

“Yellow Fever”, she said: “good for life.”
“Measles: good for life.”
“Hepatitus B: good for life.”
“Hepatitis A: expired,” she tutted. “This new dose will cover you for 20 years … so, good for life.”

A proper reminder of mortality! To quote Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, “nae man can tether time or tide,” though I am sad to be departing.

Finally, I would like to thank my family for their love and support over the last year, here and abroad. In particular, I would like to thank my wonderful wife, Elisabeth, who has made the role of Lady Mayoress her own…acting as an ambassador for the vital Prevent Violence Against Women & Girls initiative.

I’m sure many in this room have wondered how she does “it”…
I thought “it” was the abseiling, but apparently “it” means being married to me. All I can say is that Elisabeth is ‘sehr geduldig’: extremely patient.

All year, when asked about being Lord Mayor I’ve said, “Everyone should be Lord Mayor for a year”. To paraphrase A A Milne, “How lucky we are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard” – Our City of London. My parents used to say proudly, together, “It’s been a great ride!”. Elisabeth and I would agree. And thus, we thank you, for having given us that privilege.”