The Cabinet

Leader of the 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. The Leader will also have responsibility for the council’s legal services.

Deputy Leader (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.
Improving air quality and reducing harmful air pollution, focusing on high-risk areas such as main roads and high streets.
Planting thousands more trees throughout the borough, working with residents to identify as many sites for trees as possible.
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.
The Cabinet Member will be supported by the following Champions:
Cllr Thomas Palmer – Trees, Transport and Safe Havens
Cllr Kevin Brown – Recycling and Waste Reduction

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

Making the council more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Opening town hall to all residents, working with democratic services to reimagine council meetings to prioritise community participation and improve access to council spaces for community groups.
Overhauling 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.
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.
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.
Working with the voluntary sector in Lambeth, supporting charities and community organisations to engage with council services.
Working to improve political participation and increase voter engagement, focussing on underrepresented groups in Lambeth.
Supporting Lambeth residents to establish and hold Citizens Assemblies.
The Cabinet Member will be supported by the following Champions:
Cllr Matthew Wilcock – Food Justice and VCS
Cllr Catherine Thomson – Inclusion
Cllr Amelia Shoebridge - Events

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 TA and on housing waiting list.
Increasing use of 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-focused housing interventions.
Supporting leaseholders facing excessive, complex service charges.
Supporting private renters through oversight and expansion of the selective licensing scheme.
Armed Services Champion for Lambeth Council

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

Leading development of a new Local Plan which will prioritise council housing over the desires of corporate developers.
Funding construction of new council owned homes.
Ensuring development benefits the community, providing public amenities and contributing to projects across the whole borough through section 106 and CIL.
Improving community engagement in development.
Ensuring Land and Property is managed in the best way for the many, not the few.
Creating and maintaining thriving Town Centres and Lifetime Neighbourhoods.
Managing council assets and facilities.

The Cabinet Member will be supported by the following Champions:

Cllr Michael Ball – Local and London Plan

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 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 use of social value in order to fund community projects, improve public spaces and provide employment and training opportunities for local people.
Financial oversight of asset utilisation.
Monitoring council performance across all service areas.

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 Refugee and migrants’ rights and continuing Lambeth’s work as a Borough of Sanctuary.
Overseeing licensing policy.
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.
Strengthening Lambeth’s Local economy and night-life by supporting independent, local businesses.
Leading on employment and skills support for adults, including adult education and ESOL.
Migrants' rights advocacy and organising
No Recourse to Public Funds and support for undocumented people
The Cabinet Member will be supported by the following Champions:
Cllr Serafina Spicer – Tenant and Worker Organising
Cllr Lisa Schulkind – Adult Education

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 diverse needs of disabled people.
Making the council a model employer for workers with unpaid caring responsibilities through the adoption of carers charter.
Working with the NHS to improve health outcomes and tackle health inequalities across Lambeth by improving access and quality of health services.
Borough of Sanctuary services
The Cabinet Member will be supported by the following Champions:
Cllr Sacha Takyi-Berko – Adult Social Care
Cllr Chloe Hawryluk – Mental Health

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 council’s offer to care leavers, introducing a digital guarantee, improved grants and housing support.
Supporting young people into training and employment
Overseeing Lambeth’s Youth Justice Service.
The Cabinet Member will be supported by the following Champions:
Cllr Sacha Takyi-Berko – SEND
Cllr Patience Clague – Children

Cabinet Member for Safer, Thriving Neighbourhoods, Councillor Jonathan Bartley

Working with the Met to ensure residents feel safe in their neighbourhoods.
Leading public health focused 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.
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.
Filling vacant shops through High Street Rental Auctions.
Leading council’s response to Violence Against Women and Girls.
Leading on council enforcement including FPNs, licensing and HMOs.
Overseeing the council’s approach to immigration enforcement ensure all residents feel safe to seek council support.
Embedding migrants' rights into the Council's services.
The Cabinet Member will be supported by the following Champions:
Cllr Carlotta Allum – Prisons and Resettlement