Lord Provost

Who is the Lord Provost?

The Lord Provost is Glasgow's First Citizen and the principal civic representative at home and performs an important ambassadorial role, carrying out a wide range of duties. This includes hosting hundreds of civic events and engagements each year and Chair of full council meetings.

The Lord Provost is supported by a Depute Lord Provost and a team of 18 Bailies. The office also has an international relations programme promoting the city as well as developing our commonwealth and international development work and our twin city links.

The Lord Provost is also Lord-Lieutenant of Glasgow, and in that capacity, the Kings's official representative in the city. The Lord Lieutenant hosts all visits to Glasgow made by members of the royal family as well as events relating to the armed forces. For example, Remembrance Day and Armed Forces Day; and presents honours or Kings's Awards on behalf of His Majesty.

The Lord Provost is supported in all of these duties by the Lord Provost and International Office.

Follow the Glasgow Lord Provost Twitter account.

Glasgow Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren. 

What do the staff of the Lord Provost do?

Their principal duties are:

• Dealing with correspondence
• Organising events
• Organising civic dinners, lunches, and receptions
• Maintaining the diary of engagements
• Providing a constituency service
• Organising civic ceremonies including
  • Freedom of the city
  • Lord Provost awards
  • Loving cup presentations
• Organising visits both in the UK and abroad by the Lord Provost
• Organising events by VIPs to Glasgow, eg ambassadors, foreign Ministers, etc.
• Administering the Lord Provost's various charities.

Lieutenancy duties:

The Lord Provost is ex officio to the Lord Lieutenant for the City of Glasgow. The Lord Provost's adviser is the clerk of lieutenancy. The duties of the lieutenancy are to co-ordinate the programme for all visits by members of the royal family to Glasgow, assist the comptroller at Buckingham Palace with the arrangements of state visits, "away days" in Glasgow and organise ceremonies when the Lord- Lieutenant is asked to present honours or Kings's award.

International duties:

The Lord Provost & International Office is responsible for:

• encouraging and co-ordinating our responses to key european policy consultations and initiatives, and lobbying at european and international level, through membership and appropriate networks, including Eurocities.
• developing and co-ordinating relations with twin cities and other partner Councils
• managing the Council's Commonwealth and International Development programme
• monitoring and reviewing the council's performance in terms of european and international activities
• establishing positive and effective criteria for developing links with key european cities and building EU-wide network partnerships
• encouraging council services to develop european and International projects and programmes
• providing a central advice and information service to the council on european and international policy and transnational funding opportunities.