Lambeth Council has elected its first Green Party administration, with Councillor Martin Abrams chosen as the new leader after Liberal Democrat councillors supported the change at the continuation of the borough’s Annual Meeting.
The decision follows the local elections held on May 7, when all 63 council seats across Lambeth’s 25 wards were contested. The Greens now lead the council with 27 seats, ahead of Labour on 26, while the Liberal Democrats hold eight. Two vacant seats are due to be filled through by-elections on July 9.
The new administration has also set out plans to alter how Cabinet decisions are scrutinised, moving towards a hybrid Cabinet Committee model within the existing council system.
The new leadership at Lambeth Council
Councillor Martin Abrams has been elected leader of Lambeth Council, putting the Green Party in charge of the borough for the first time.
Councillor Ciara Alleyne and Councillor Natalie Kane have been appointed as deputy leaders. Cllr Alleyne will cover environment, climate crisis and transport, while Cllr Kane will cover inclusion, democracy and culture.
The wider Cabinet includes Cllr Pete Elliott for housing, Cllr Scott Ainslie for planning and development, built environment and public realm, and Cllr Zvikomborero Chihoro for finance and community wealth building.
Other appointments include Cllr Michael Chessum for economy, cost of living and empowered communities; Cllr Jeremy Isaacs and Cllr Sam Dorney-Smith in a job-share role for health and adult social care; Cllr Alice Weavers for children and young people; and Cllr Jonathan Bartley for safer, thriving neighbourhoods.
A narrow council balance after the May election
The change in control comes from a closely balanced chamber. The Green Party holds one more seat than Labour, but not an outright majority. Liberal Democrat support was therefore central to the new administration being approved.
Labour will now be led at Lambeth Council by Cllr Claire Holland, with Cllrs Danny Adilypour and Nanda Manley-Browne serving as deputy leaders of the Labour group. For the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Matthew Bryant has been named group leader, with Cllr Tam Langley as deputy.
The Annual Meeting had previously been adjourned on Wednesday, May 27, before continuing on Monday evening. At the earlier session, Cllr Paul Valentine was named Mayor of Lambeth, becoming the borough’s first Green mayor. Cllr Judy Best, representing the Liberal Democrats, was appointed Deputy Mayor.
More scrutiny promised for Cabinet decisions
The new administration says it wants to make Lambeth Council more transparent and accountable by increasing the role of councillors outside Cabinet in the decision-making process.
The approved direction is a hybrid Cabinet Committee model. In practice, that means the council intends to introduce new committee arrangements designed to give greater weight to scrutiny and create more opportunities for cross-party working.
Cllr Abrams said the administration wanted to give backbenchers from all parties a stronger role in decisions made by Cabinet and to empower ward councillors over decisions affecting their local communities.
“Our administration is committed to making the council more transparent and accountable to local people,” he said. “By moving to a hybrid ‘cabinet committee’ system, Lambeth has already made steps toward a more open and transparent council.”
What changes for residents
For residents, the immediate change is political leadership: Lambeth is now run by a Green Party administration rather than Labour, with Liberal Democrat support helping to secure the transition.
The practical effects will depend on how the new Cabinet sets priorities across housing, planning, transport, climate policy, adult social care, children’s services and neighbourhood safety. These are the areas where residents are most likely to see council decisions in daily life, from local development and public realm issues to services for vulnerable adults and young people.
The proposed governance changes may also affect how local concerns move through the council. A stronger role for scrutiny committees and ward councillors could give non-Cabinet members more formal routes to challenge or shape decisions before they are implemented.
By-elections still to complete the chamber
The political balance is not fully settled while two casual vacancies remain. Those seats are expected to be filled through by-elections on July 9.
Until then, the Green administration begins work with a narrow lead in the chamber and with Liberal Democrat support already shown in the vote that confirmed the new council leadership.
Source: London Borough of Lambeth
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This report is based on the published Lambeth Council update about the Annual Meeting and new administration.
- Checked the named council leader, deputy leaders and Cabinet appointments against the sour...
- Checked the reported council seat totals and the July 9 by-election date from the same sou...
- Separated confirmed governance changes from future implications for residents.
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- Love Lambeth
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- London Borough of Lambeth
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- 2026-06-07 18:44
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