Editing Lichfield (section)

== Governance ==

=== Local government ===
Historically the [[Bishop of Lichfield]] had authority over the city. It was not until 1548, with [[Edward VI]]'s charter, that Lichfield had any form of secular government. As a reward for the support given to Mary I by the bailiffs and citizens during the Duke of Northumberland's attempt to prevent her accession, the Queen issued a new charter in 1553, confirming the 1548 charter and in addition granting the city its own Sheriff. The same charter made Lichfield a county separate from the rest of [[Staffordshire]]. It remained so until 1888.

The City Council (not to be confused with [[Lichfield District Council]], which has authority over a wider area than Lichfield city) has 28 members from the six wards of Boley Park, Chadsmead, Curborough, Leamonsley, St John's, and Stowe, who are elected every four years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lichfield.gov.uk/Wards__and__City_Boundary_682.aspx|title=Wards and city boundary|publisher=Lichfield City Council|access-date=20 February 2024}}</ref> After the 2019 parish council elections,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lichfield.gov.uk/Councillors_739.aspx|title = Councillors - Lichfield City Council}}</ref> the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] remained in overall control, with the 28 seats being divided between the Conservatives (16), [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|the Liberal Democrats]] (8), [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] (3) and Independent (1) who subsequently joined the Labour group. The [[Worship (style)|Right Worshipful]] the [[Mayor]] of Lichfield (currently Councillor Robert Yardley<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lichfield.gov.uk/Mayors_Sheriffs_and_Town_Clerks_since_1548_740.aspx|title=Mayors, Sheriffs and Town Clerks since 1548 - Lichfield City Council|website=www.lichfield.gov.uk}}</ref>) is the civic head of the council<ref name="lichfield.gov.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.lichfield.gov.uk/cc-structure.ihtml |title=Lichfield City Council Officers and Structure |access-date=2012-06-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715073152/http://www.lichfield.gov.uk/cc-structure.ihtml |archive-date=15 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and chairs council meetings. The council also appoints a Leader of Council to be the main person responsible for leadership of the council's political and policy matters. The council's current Leader is [[Councillor]] Mark Warfield. Lichfield is one of only 15 towns and cities in England and Wales which appoints a [[High Sheriff|Sheriff]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lichfield.gov.uk/cc.ihtml |title=Lichfield City Council Functions |publisher=Lichfield.gov.uk |access-date=17 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423113052/http://www.lichfield.gov.uk/cc.ihtml |archive-date=23 April 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

=== Members of Parliament ===

The [[Lichfield (UK Parliament constituency)|Lichfield constituency]] sent two members to the parliament of 1304 and to a few succeeding parliaments, but the representation did not become regular until 1552; in 1867 it lost one member, and in 1885 its representation was merged into that of the county.<ref name="From 1990 pp. 14-24"/> The Lichfield constituency was abolished in 1950 and replaced with the [[Lichfield and Tamworth (UK Parliament constituency)|Lichfield and Tamworth constituency]]. This constituency lasted until 1983, when it was replaced with the [[Mid Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Staffordshire constituency]].

Based on the resident's location in Lichfield District, there are technically two MPs. The current Member of Parliament for Lichfield, including the whole of the city, is the Labour Politician [[Dave Robertson (British politician)|Dave Robertson]], who has been MP for Lichfield since the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]]. Robertson won the seat from Conservative [[Michael Fabricant]], who had held the seat since 1997, by a majority of 810.<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001335</ref>

[[Sarah Edwards (British politician)|Sarah Edwards]] was elected to the [[Tamworth (UK Parliament constituency)|Tamworth constituency]] in a [[2023 Tamworth by-election|byelection in 2023]]<ref name="bbc2023">{{cite news |title=Labour overturn 19,000 Tory majority for 'incredible' Tamworth win |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-67165541 |access-date=20 October 2023 |work=BBC News |date=20 October 2023}}</ref>  and held the seat in the 2024 general election.<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001538</ref> [[Chris Pincher|Christopher Pincher]]  was the previous MP until a [[Chris Pincher scandal|highly publicised scandal]] in 2022 after which he had the Conservative [[Whip (politics)|whip]] revoked and subsequently sat as an [[Independent politician|independent]] before announcing his resignation in September 2023.