Councillor Shaukat Ali has been sworn in as the 128th Lord Mayor of Manchester today
Councillor Shaukat Ali has been sworn in as the 128th Lord Mayor of Manchester following an official Mayor Making ceremony today (May 20).
secretmanchester.comHere’s the latest I can share based on recent reports.
- Shaukat Ali has been sworn in as the 128th Lord Mayor of Manchester, with the swearing-in taking place around May 19–20, 2026. The ceremony marks his formal assumption of the ceremonial role for Manchester.[1][5]
- As Lord Mayor, he serves as a ceremonial figurehead and chair of council meetings, focusing on representation, community engagement, and fundraising for local causes, rather than setting policy.[2][5]
- Ali is a long-time Manchester councillor for Cheetham, first elected in 2012, and previously served as Deputy Lord Mayor before taking the top civic role.[3][4]
If you’d like, I can pull more details on his stated priorities during his year as Lord Mayor or provide a quick bio summary suitable for a briefing. Also, I can check for any major events or appearances announced by the Lord Mayor’s office in the coming weeks.