Post: | Mayor |
Body: | Lewisham |
Incumbent: | Brenda Dacres |
Incumbentsince: | 8 March 2024 |
Style: | No courtesy title or style |
Appointer: | Electorate of Lewisham |
Termlength: | Four years |
Inaugural: | Steve Bullock |
The mayor of Lewisham is a directly elected mayor responsible for the executive function of Lewisham London Borough Council in London. The role was established in 2002 following a referendum the previous year.
Damien Egan resigned the post on 10 January 2024 in order to contest the 2024 Kingswood by election.[1] In the resulting by-election, Brenda Dacres was elected as Egan's successor.[1] [2]
Elections from 2002 to 2022 were held under the supplementary vote system. Following the enactment of the Elections Act 2022, subsequent elections are held under first-past-the-post.
The by-election was triggered following the resignation of Damien Egan to stand in the 2024 Kingswood by-election. It was the first election run under first past the post rather than the prior use of supplementary vote. The winning candidate, Brenda Dacres, is the first black woman to serve as a directly elected mayor in the UK. The election had a low turnout of 20.73%.[2]