City of London elects new Chief Commoner

On 9 October 2026 the City of London Corporation announced that Deputy Deborah Oliver TD has been elected Chief Commoner, taking over from Philip Woodhouse for a one-year term beginning spring 2027 — an office that dates back more than 500 years. The news remains among the most-read items on the Corporation's newsroom going into 17 October. Oliver has represented Aldersgate ward since 2022 and sits on the City of London Police Authority Board, where she chairs the Professionalism and Trust Committee; she is also Chair of the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee and a Member of the City Bridge Foundation Board. Her career has spanned corporate communications across legal, health, regulation and government sectors, and she is a former Army Reserve Colonel and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Companies of Communicators and Ironmongers. She said her priorities would be supporting Members, strengthening the effectiveness of the Court, improving professional development and uniting colleagues across different viewpoints.