Earlier today, Bishopsgate voters gathered at the Parish Hall of St. Botolph Without Church for the annual Wardmote (meeting of electors).
During the course of the meeting, each of the six validated nominated candidates were able to set out their case for election before voters, which come from businesses, residents and students in the ward of Bishopsgate.
A question and answer session then followed, where voters asked questions about the proposed Liverpool Street Station redevelopment, the re-opening of key open spaces such as Jubilee Gardens and improvements in internet connectivity inside large office buildings above ground level.
The presiding officers then declared the results of the election, which re-elected Common Councillors Simon Duckworth, Shravan Joshi, Benjamin Murphy and Tom Sleigh. It also elected two new Councillors, Simon Burrows and Karina Dostalova.
Simon Burrows is a Chartered IT Engineer as well as a Chartered Accountant. He works closely with small start-up and scaleup businesses including investors in them. His particular expertise is introducing and nurturing fintech and payments companies, modernising complex IT systems and processes, integrating and separating IT systems during M&A projects and using automation to improve efficiency. He started his career working in Devonshire Square within the Bishopsgate Ward and has maintained his interest as a member of Bishopsgate Ward Club for 10 years and recently joined its Committee. He is also Hon. Treasurer for the City Livery Club. Simon has a strong business network and understanding of the culture, politics and priorities of Financial and Professional Services employers, including major Law and Corporate Finance firms. Having left his full-time roles, he now runs a boutique Advisory firm and acts as a Non-Executive Director, giving him control over his diary and the time to properly commit to the role of Common Councillor. In his spare time, Simon is Trustee to a small educational charity, member of a Livery company, renovating a house and loves travelling, including exploring the City and wider London at weekends with his partner and two dogs.
Karina Dostalova lives just south of the City of London in London Bridge. Her career has been in Communications and change management and she is currently a Global Communications Leader for a professional services company. Karina is an experienced councillor having first been elected to the City of London council in 2013 before stepping down in 2021 to take on a new corporate position. She brings a wealth of experience to the City of London, both in her professional and political experience as well as having served on a number of charity boards. Previous positions include: (i) Trustee on The City Bridge Trust, which grants over £25 million a year to London charities, (ii) Chairman of Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queens Park, maximising our contribution to sport and recreation whilst managing conservation and concerns of residents, (iii) Serving on the Policy and Resources Committee, and Resource Allocation Committee which guide the work and budget of the City of London. In these positions, she successfully lobbied for small businesses to be supported through the pandemic with the approval of a grant of £50m for small businesses to apply for. She also successfully lobbied for an improved focus and funding for sport, in order to make our City a more attractive place to live and work.
Following the election, some other annual administrative tasks were completed, which includes the Declarations of Office beings signed by each elected Councillor, and the appointment of honorary roles.
The Alderman is able to appoint two Ward Deputies. In Bishopsgate, one represent the Ward Within the old roman gate and one represents the Ward Without. Benjamin Murphy was appointed Deputy for Bishopsgate Without and Tom Sleigh was appointed Deputy for Bishopsgate Within.
Richard Morris, the long-serving Honorary Ward Clerk was also re-appointed.
The final election of the day was to elect the Ward Beadles. These are nominated by the Alderman for Bishopsgate voter’s approval. Christopher Watson was elected for the Ward Within and Aniru Shyllon was elected for the Ward Without.
Following feedback from Bishopsgate voters during the course of the election campaign, Benjamin Murphy moved a motion regarding ward newsletters which stated:
“This Wardmote resolves to request the City of London Corporation to reintroduce Ward Newsletters to help engage with the wide range of businesses, residents and students in Bishopsgate on the topics which matter most to them.”
Several voters spoke in support of this mote and the presiding Alderman took a vote which was unanimously approved. This motion will be put to the Policy and Resources Committee of the City of London Corporation for consideration and response at the next Wardmote in March 2026.
The full agenda for the meeting is below, for information.
