Abbey Tribute to Sir Simon Milton

He was elected to Westminster city council in 1988, serving on a number of committees before becoming leader in 2000. In 2007 he became chairman of the Local Government Association. A year later he joined the Greater London Authority as a deputy mayor for planning and policy and latterly as Chief of Staff to the Mayor, Boris Johnson.

In his Bidding the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, said:

From wherever we come, from Simon’s family, from networks of friendship, from the City of Westminster and from the Greater London Authority, from the Conservative Party, as members of the Jewish or Christian faith, or of another faith or of none, we come together united in our sense of loss at Simon’s sudden death.

Sir Simon’s civil partner, Councillor Robert Davis DL, and his sister, Lisa Milton, each read a Tribute. The Address was given by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.

The Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Susie Burbridge read Proverbs 3: 13-26 and the Very Reverend Jonathan Greener, Dean of Wakefield, read St Mark 12: 28-34a.

Prayers were led by the Reverend Michael Macey, Minor Canon and Precentor of Westminster, and read by the Reverend Andrew Tremlett, Canon of Westminster and Rector of St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey; and Rabbi Steven Katz, Senior Rabbi, Hendon Reform Synagogue, Rabbi Katz and Robert Davis said the Kaddish which is a 2000-year-old prayer recited by Jewish mourners around the world in its original Hebrew Aramaic language.

The service was sung by the Westminster Abbey Special Service Choir conducted by James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers. The organ was played during the service by James McVinnie, Assistant Organist and before it by Andrej Kouznetsov, Organ Scholar.

The Order of Service (PDF, 924 KB)