Lord Mayor of Liverpool
The Lord Mayor of Liverpool for 2025-2026 is Councillor Barbara Murray. The Lord Mayor is always a serving councillor, elected by the full Council, and stands for one year in office.
About the Lord Mayor
Councillor Barbara Ann Murray was born and educated in Liverpool. She read Philosophy at the University of Liverpool and later completed a Post Graduate Certificate of Education and a Post Graduate Digital Multimedia Design course.
Barbara has worked as a civil servant at the Inland Revenue, a retail area manager, a teacher and a community development worker for a housing provider.
Her political career started over fifty years ago with active membership of Trade Unions and the Labour Party. She was elected to Liverpool City Council in 2007 to represent Yew Tree ward.
Barbara has volunteered as a school governor since the 1990s. She was awarded School Governor of the Year in 2008 by Liverpool City Council for her work chairing the first Interim Executive Board in the city. She became a National Leader of Governance in 2016.
Barbara has worked with Britain in Bloom and the Royal Horticultural Society: Its Your Neighbourhood community projects since 2004 and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by North West In Bloom in 2017.
Barbara is a poet and artist in her own right. She was a founder member helping to set up the Dead Good Poets Society in the city. She has performed her poetry locally and nationally and has had some of her work published. She is an artist with a recognisable style who has exhibited and sold her work commercially.
Barbara has three children. Her consort will be her son Richard and her daughters Ruth and Elizabeth will share the role of Lady Mayoress.
'It is a great privilege indeed to be asked to be the Lord Mayor of Liverpool. My family, friends and colleagues are delighted that I have been accorded the honour of first citizen of our wonderful city. They have high expectations of me and want me to demonstrate our highest values and a traditional warm welcome to everyone.
'I am grateful for this unique opportunity to share my passions for education and creativity. I will be fundraising to support literacy skills acquisition, lifelong learning and the much needed regeneration of youth provision locally for our children and young people.'
The Lord Mayor's charities
Councillor Murray’s charity will be Liverpool Education Grants Charitable Trust previously known as the Council of Education. The direct beneficiaries during her mayoral year will be Liverpool Literacy Cycle, Youth Works apprenticeships and Liverpool Poetry Space. Your can find out more about her charity appeals at liverpoolcityhalls.co.uk/charity-appeal
If you think you can help raise money for The Lord Mayor’s Charities please contact Liverpool Town Hall on 0151 351 2200, email lord.mayor@liverpool.gov.uk or donate at liverpoolcityhalls.co.uk/civic
Role of the Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the first citizen and chosen representative of the city, acting as the focal point of the community as well as promoting the city and forging national and international links. The Lord Mayor's role is to:
- represent the city at civic functions and engagements
- promote the city nationally and internationally
- support local charities and community groups
- attend religious events of all denominations
- meet delegates from twinned cities
- chair council meetings
- confer Honorary Freemen and associations