On the second Saturday in November the Lord Mayor of London follows a time honoured route from the City's square mile to the Royal Courts of Justice Westminster where he swears an oath of loyalty to the Monarch. In days of old this was perhaps more necessary than it is today - the Lord Mayor's power rivalled that of the King; he held the purse strings of the City. The Capital's wealth could fund the King's expensive trips abroad - to Agincourt, for instance.

Today the Lord Mayor's role is part ceremonial, part ambassadorial. He represents the City's financial and business sectors. Should he therefore use his office to speak out more about the banking scandals ? As head of the London Corporation, he oversees the spending of the City's historic wealth - the City's Cash. How is it spent? Is it used well?
And does London need a Lord Mayor in a State coach any more now it has Boris on a bike?

Quentin Letts asks, What is the point of the Lord Mayor of London? Show less