Birmingham’s new Lord Mayor, Cllr Maureen Cornish, has taken up the office of First Citizen after a Mayor Making ceremony during the Annual Meeting of the City Council last week (24 May 2022).
Cllr Cornish, was born to a working-class family in Hockley and worked in sales as a young mother- including two years in New South Wales, Australia, before returning to the UK.
First elected to Sutton Coldfield Four Oaks ward in 2007, Cllr Cornish has served the city council for the past 15 years.
Prior to her appointment to the ceremonial role of Birmingham’s First Citizen, Cllr Cornish held various roles including Shadow Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Culture; and was Chief Whip for the Conservative Group for several years. Most recently (in 2021/22) she also sat on both Economy and Skills Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Planning Committee.
One of Birmingham’s former Lord Mayors was Cllr Anne Underwood, who represented the city at the closing ceremony of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018.
And for Cllr Cornish, representing Birmingham on the international stage as Lord Mayor of the proud host city, when the Commonwealth Games begins on 28 July will be an early highlight of this Mayoral year.
Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Maureen Cornish, said: “By accepting this honour, I am very proud to be able to serve this great city as Lord Mayor.
“It will be a huge privilege to serve my home city as First Citizen, and I look forward to representing Birmingham for the next 12 months both locally, nationally and internationally.
“2022 marks the biggest year Birmingham has seen in a generation, which will bring numerous opportunities to show how amazing our city is.
“I will do my utmost to maintain Birmingham’s high profile and build on its successes, as we enjoy the Birmingham 2022 Festival – celebrating the city’s innovation, diversity and creativity – and as we look ahead to proudly hosting the Commonwealth Games this summer.”
During Cllr Cornish’s year as Lord Mayor she will be supported by Lord Mayor’s Consort, her husband Malcolm and their daughters Mandy and Natalie.