About the Mayor

Find out what the Mayor, Leader and Cabinet do for Lambeth Council, and how to contact them. See which events the mayor will be attending.

The Cabinet

Leader of Lambeth Council, Councillor Martin Abrams

Councillor Martin Abrams will provide strategic oversight to the transformation of Lambeth Council into a borough that works for residents, listens to communities and protects the most vulnerable. As Leader of the Council, Councillor Abrams will implement Green manifesto pledges and oversee a shift in culture that will create a more open and transparent council, improving consultation and increasing community participation in decision-making.

The Leader will act as Lambeth’s political representative, working with local anchor institutions, neighbouring boroughs and the regional authorities to achieve shared goals that benefit Lambeth residents. Councillor Abrams will stand against austerity, campaigning for increased funding for local authorities to arrest the ongoing decline in services and provide better outcomes for Lambeth residents.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Future Generations, Councillor Ciara Alleyne

Embedding ambitious climate action across the council’s decision making and long-term strategic direction.
Championing Lambeth’s response to the climate emergency and ensuring environmental policy reflects the needs of communities most impacted by inequality and pollution.
Supporting transformational environmental policy that reshapes how the council delivers infrastructure and public investment.
Leading Lambeth’s transition to net-zero.
Introducing carbon budgeting to minimise the council’s overall environmental impact.
Leading on climate resilience and preparedness, developing strategies for increasing natural drainage and response plans for extreme weather, including warm/cool spaces for vulnerable residents.
Working with TfL to improve public transport and safety on main roads.
Improving infrastructure for cycling, walking and wheeling to reduce car use and improve public health.
Reducing air pollution on our high streets.
Implementing school streets for every eligible primary and secondary school.
Protecting and enhancing biodiversity across the borough.
Rebalancing parking fees to place the burden on the most polluting, damaging and dangerous road users while shielding those struggling with the cost of living from unaffordable charges.
Overseeing waste and street cleaning services.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Inclusion, Democracy and Culture, Councillor Natalie Kane

Making the council more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Opening the town hall to all residents, reimagining council meetings to prioritise community participation.
Overhauling the consultation process to be more open and accessible.
Supporting residents to access digital services.
Helping arts and culture thrive in Lambeth.
Protecting and improving Lambeth’s parks and third spaces.
Improving leisure services, delivering urgently required renovations and making it more affordable for younger residents.
Investing in Libraries, restoring the books fund and enabling them to be the community cornerstones residents need.

Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Pete Elliott

Bringing repairs in-house, improving services and providing hundreds of job opportunities for residents.
Removing the ‘regeneration’ label from estates.
Leading plans for renovation and retrofitting estates, providing better quality homes and reducing long-term repairs spending.
Filling voids estates to provide housing to those in temporary accommodation (TA) and on the housing waiting list.
Increasing use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) to bring long-term empty private homes back into use for those who need housing.
Improving conditions in temporary accommodation.
Reducing homelessness through long-term, resident-focussed housing interventions.

Cabinet Member for Planning and Development, Built Environment, Parks and Public Realm, Councillor Scott Ainslie

Leading the development of a new Local Plan, which will prioritise council housing over the desires of corporate developers.
Funding the construction of new council-owned council homes.
Ensuring development benefits the community, providing public amenities and contributing to local projects.
Improving community engagement in development.
Finding a sustainable resolution to ongoing disputes regarding festivals in Brockwell Park, balancing community benefit with resident concerns and bringing back the Lambeth Country Show.

Cabinet Member for Finance and Community Wealth Building, Councillor Zvikomborero Chihoro

Ensuring financial stability in Lambeth’s accounts, progressing auditor recommendations and developing long-term financial strategy to take Lambeth out of exceptional financial support (EFS).
Improving transparency in Lambeth’s finances, including the implementation of an open and consultative budget setting process.
Bringing Homes for Lambeth in-house.
Developing a new local economic strategy centred on community wealth building.
In-sourcing council services wherever viable and beneficial.
Transforming procurement policy to prioritise local businesses over extractive contracts with large providers.
Revolutionising the use of social value, section 106 and CIL to maximise impact across the borough, funding community projects, improving public spaces and providing employment opportunities for local people.

Cabinet Member for Economy, Cost of Living and Empowered Communities, Councillor Michael Chessum

Leading on the council’s work to organise tenants, residents and workers to build social power and demand change.
Workforce and workers’ rights, including liaison with trade unions.
Ensuring that frontline workers have a say in how the council’s services are delivered, making services better and more efficient.
Spearheading the council's campaign to restore funding from central government and reverse austerity.
Protecting Refugees' and migrants’ rights and continuing Lambeth’s work as a Borough of Sanctuary.
Overseeing enforcement functions, including licensing.
Commercial property management.
Introducing measures to help residents with the cost of living, and ensuring that these are implemented.
Benefits and advice, ensuring that residents have access to the support they need.
Community engagement, ensuring that community groups, campaigns, media and other groups have access to the resources and support they need to benefit residents.

Statutory responsibility for adult social care of older people, people with disabilities and those with mental health issues.
Safeguarding and monitoring performance of all aspects of social care services for adults across the council and its partners.
Reviewing all social care services to make them fully accessible, person-centred and responsive to the diverse needs of disabled people.
Making the council a model employer for workers with unpaid caring responsibilities through the adoption of the Carers' Charter.
Working with the NHS to improve health outcomes and tackle health inequalities across Lambeth by improving access and quality of health services.

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Alice Weavers

Statutory lead member for children’s services role, including responsibility for corporate parenting, child protection, children with disabilities and protecting children from sexual exploitation. Commissioning Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) with Lambeth Clinical Commissioning Group.
Working with nurseries and primary schools to find sustainable solutions to falling pupil numbers that prioritise parents and children.
Working with schools to ensure every child in Lambeth receives a high standard of education.
Ensuring all young people have access to high quality youth services throughout the borough.
Working to introduce a dedicated youth worker in every school to connect pupils to extra opportunities and initiatives.
Prioritising SEND children and parents, ensuring resources are allocated based on need.
Supporting children in care and care leavers.
Implementing an anti-racist practice programme across children’s services, with transparent reporting on outcomes and progress.
Improve the council’s offer to care leavers, introducing a digital guarantee, improved grants and housing support.
Overseeing Lambeth’s Youth Justice Service.

Cabinet Member for Safer, Thriving Neighbourhoods, Councillor Jonathan Bartley

Working with the Met to ensure residents feel safe in their neighbourhoods.
Leading public health focussed solutions to crime reduction.
Holding the Met to account, especially in their increased use of live facial recognition and discriminatory stop and search tactics.
Protecting high streets by implementing a ‘use it or lose it’ policy for shop front property owners.
Supporting local businesses in the face of rising costs.
Treating gambling as a public health issue, reinstating the ‘no casino’ resolution and holding gambling companies to account for their impact on vulnerable residents.
Tackling anti-social behaviour and substance misuse, prioritising support for vulnerable people.
Leading the council’s response to Violence Against Women and Girls.