Bob Price, the longest-standing Labour city councillor, is to be Oxford's next Lord Mayor.

Like former Labour county councillor John Power, who was Lord Mayor in 1993-94, he will ditch the Mayoral limousine and use his bike whenever he can.

Bob Price Mr Price will replace fellow Labour councillor Brian Keen, who ends a tempestuous year in office on May 19.

The Lord Mayor's role is ceremonial and he or she is supposed to remain apolitical but Mr Keen stepped into the row over the Lord Mayor's car.

Last year the city council planned to replace the Rover 75 with a BMW but council leaders decided in the end to opt for an environmentally-friendly Toyota Prius.

Mr Price, a father-of-two, who became a city councillor in 1983 for the old South ward, is director of resources for Oxford Brookes University.

He said: "I asked Graham Upton, the vice-chancellor, about taking on the role and he said I should do it. The tradition for Lord Mayor has always been that you come from one party but you seek to be as neutral as possible like the Speaker in the House of Commons and that is the position I shall try to uphold.

"When I am sitting in the chamber as Lord Mayor I will try to be as inclusive as possible.

"I have seen lots of Lord Mayors in action and I've got a good idea where the difficult territory lies. I shall try to steer a neutral course and I won't use the title when it is not advisable to do so."

Mr Price, who cycles to work from his home in south Oxford, said he planned to cycle around the city as much as possible.

The city councillor for Hinksey Park ward added: "If I am wearing the Lord Mayor's real chains as opposed to the replica chains then I would have no option and would have to use the car but otherwise I will use my bike.

"I cycle everywhere and most places in the city are within easy cycling distance. I have always been a great advocate of bringing in improvements for cyclists and I will keep the pressure on the county council because that's a non-party political issue."

His three charities are Oxfam, Support for Sick Newborns and their Parents (SSNAP), based at the John Radcliffe Hospital, and the Lake Street Playgroup.