Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg has been elected the new Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Westminster following a vote at Full Council (14th May). Born in Manchester, he first attended King David Primary before studying at Bury Grammar School from 1961 to 1969. In 1973 he moved to Westminster and has been involved in politics ever since.

Paul has represented his ward in Hyde Park since May 2022 but was first elected to represent Harrow Road Ward between 1982 and 1990 and was later elected to represent Queen’s Park Ward from 1997 to 2022. From 2022 to 2025, he was Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality, having previously been the Opposition’s City Management spokesperson. He was also the Leader of the Opposition from 1987-1990 and from 2004-2015, and has served on a wide range of committees, including as Chair of the Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He has chosen two charities to support throughout the year. These are the Avenues Youth Project a youth centre in north west London and Hotel School who provide training in the hospitality industry to those who have experienced homelessness.

In his spare time, the Lord Mayor enjoys going to the cinema and theatre, watching Manchester United, and listening to jazz and brass band music. An avid historian, the new Lord Mayor has written five books on British and local Westminster political history.

The Lord Mayor of Westminster is the ceremonial, non-partisan and non-executive First Citizen of Westminster. They are elected annually from among the councillors and chairs all Full Council meetings. In addition, the Lord Mayor traditionally undertakes the following duties:

• celebrating the achievements of Westminster’s citizens and communities
• supporting the City’s diverse communities
• promoting Westminster locally, nationally and internationally
• representing Westminster at important civic and ceremonial events

Paul has briefly answered a few questions below about how he became Lord Mayor since leaving BGS...

Please describe your journey since leaving BGS and how you progressed to your most recent/current position. 

After leaving BGS I went to college in London and qualified as a Town Planner and first worked in local government. I was always interested in politics, and I joined the Labour Party in 1974, eventually becoming a Westminster City Councillor from 1982 - 1990, and then from 1997 to today. I was elected Lord Mayor of Westminster on 14th May 2025 and my mayoralty will run for one year.

What does your role involve, what is an average day like for you?

As Lord Mayor and first citizen, I represent the City of Westminster on a regional, national and even international stage. There are engagements most days of the week and sometimes 2 or 3 a day - Citizenship ceremonies, attending Westminster Abbey, meeting local charities, voluntary groups and residents' associations and more. What makes this role so special is the diverse range of engagements I attend. I can go from meeting ambassadors to primary school children to community leaders all in one day.

What skills do you consider to be essential for your job?

An interest and curiosity about the people, communities and organisations that make up the City of Westminster. And stamina - the last Lord Mayor clocked up over 800 events in his Lord Mayoral year.

What do you like most about your job?

Meeting a diverse set of people and learning about their journey to Westminster. We are so lucky that so many different people call Westminster their home and everyone has a different story to tell about their background and life experience.

What advice would you give to our alumni starting their first steps in their career journey?

Don't be afraid about making mistakes or false starts - it took me a while to realise what I wanted to do and what I was good at. When you have decided what you want to do, make sure you put everything into it. There is no substitute for hard work.

When you look back at your time at BGS, what are some of your fondest memories?

I made some great friends at BGS and some of them will be at a celebratory lunch I have organised in July - 64 years later! My interest in history and politics developed at BGS where Derek Hodgkiss was a very big influence and encouraged us to "read around the subject" to get a better understanding of people and events. 

Congratulations to Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg from all at Bury Grammar School!