By the demoduck.co.uk local news desk
Lambeth Council has elected its first Green Party administration, with Councillor Martin Abrams chosen as leader after Liberal Democrat support at the continuation of the borough’s Annual Meeting on Monday evening.
The decision follows the local elections held on May 7, when all 63 council seats across Lambeth’s 25 wards were contested. The new administration takes charge of council services, housing, planning, transport, finance, scrutiny and local decision-making at a time when no single party holds a majority.
Cllr Abrams said the administration would work to make the council more transparent and accountable, with a stronger role for councillors outside the Cabinet and more cross-party involvement in decisions.
Martin Abrams leads a new Green administration
Cllr Martin Abrams has been elected Leader of Lambeth Council, becoming the head of the borough’s first Green Party administration.
Two deputy leaders have also been appointed. Councillor Ciara Alleyne will serve as Deputy Leader with responsibility for environment, the climate crisis and transport. Councillor Natalie Kane will serve as Deputy Leader with responsibility for inclusion, democracy and culture.
The wider Cabinet includes Cllr Pete Elliott for housing, Cllr Scott Ainslie for planning and development, the built environment and public realm, and Cllr Zvikomborero Chihoro for finance and community wealth building.
Cllr Michael Chessum will oversee economy, cost of living and empowered communities. Health and adult social care will be handled as a job share by Cllr Jeremy Isaacs and Cllr Sam Dorney-Smith. Cllr Alice Weavers will take on children and young people, while Cllr Jonathan Bartley will cover safer, thriving neighbourhoods.
Liberal Democrat support shapes the balance of power
The Green Party holds 27 seats on Lambeth Council, one more than Labour’s 26. The Liberal Democrats hold eight seats, with two casual vacancies due to be filled through by-elections on July 9.
That arithmetic means the new administration depends on cooperation beyond the Green group. The leadership was voted through with Liberal Democrat support, placing cross-party working at the centre of the council’s new political setup.
The Liberal Democrats have named Cllr Matthew Bryant as group leader and Cllr Tam Langley as deputy group leader. Labour has confirmed Cllr Claire Holland as leader of its group, with Cllrs Danny Adilypour and Nanda Manley-Browne as deputy leaders.
For readers tracking local government changes elsewhere, another council leadership team has also recently been confirmed after the new municipal year.
Cabinet committees add more scrutiny
Lambeth’s Annual Council meeting approved plans to move towards a hybrid Cabinet Committee model while staying within the existing council system.
The council says the change is intended to give backbench councillors from all parties a larger role in Cabinet decision-making, raise the profile of scrutiny, and give ward councillors more influence over issues affecting their local areas.
Cllr Abrams said he was pleased the council had voted to increase the role of councillors across parties in decisions made by Cabinet. He said the new model would give “greater prominence to scrutiny” and empower ward councillors over decisions affecting local communities.
He added: “By moving to a hybrid ‘cabinet committee’ system, Lambeth has already made steps toward a more open and transparent council.”
What changes for residents now
For residents, the immediate change is political control. The Green-led administration will now set the direction for council priorities, including environmental policy, housing, planning, transport, neighbourhood safety, adult social care and children’s services.
The governance change could also affect how decisions are examined before they are made. Stronger committee involvement may give opposition and backbench councillors more formal routes to test proposals, question Cabinet members and raise ward-level concerns.
The first test will be how the administration uses that model on practical issues such as housing pressure, street management, climate measures, public realm schemes and cost-of-living support.
July by-elections remain the next political marker
The new leadership was confirmed after the Annual Meeting was adjourned on Wednesday, May 27, and continued on Monday evening. At the earlier meeting, Cllr Paul Valentine was named Mayor of Lambeth, becoming the borough’s first Green mayor. Liberal Democrat Cllr Judy Best was named Deputy Mayor.
The council’s political balance is not fully settled. Two vacancies remain, and by-elections are scheduled for July 9 to fill those seats.
Those contests will not change the fact that Lambeth has already installed its first Green administration, but they will determine the final seat numbers in a council where every vote may affect how smoothly the new leadership can govern.
Source: London Borough of Lambeth
Source check Source trail
This report is based on Lambeth Council's published account of the Annual Meeting continuation and the new administration appointments.
- Matched the leadership change to the stated Annual Meeting continuation.
- Checked named Cabinet roles against the council-provided list.
- Kept the May 7 election, May 27 adjournment and July 9 by-election dates visible.
- Separated confirmed governance changes from possible future political effects.
- Source
- Love Lambeth
- Scope
- London Borough of Lambeth
- Updated
- 2026-06-07 16:41
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