At the City Council AGM on June 1st I was elected as the new leader of council.
These are my notes for a speech.
You can watch the meeting on the City Council YouTube channel and read the Labour Party announcement here. It’s also on the City Council website.
Notes towards a speech
I’d like to start by thanking Cllr Bick and Cllr Bennett, and everyone else who took part in the discussions and negotiations over the last ten days to get us here. I think we are in a good place to go forward together.
And I’d also like to acknowledge the hard work and professionalism of every person who keeps the Council running, from the Chief Executive and other officers, to the whole team here and Mandela House and in offices and depots around the city.
Thank you to those keeping the parks in fantastic condition, and my wonderful team at Shared Planning and 3C Building Control.
Thanks to the the unions supporting so many of our workers, to everyone keeping our buildings and sites running and secure, and to those helping councillors to be as effective as possible as we serve the people of Cambridge.
I want to acknowledge the hard work of Cameron Holloway and Rachel Wade, who provided political leadership to both the Labour Group and this council last year, and to thank every councillor who continues in office for their efforts – now and in the year to come.
I’d like to thank the councillors who retired or stepped down:
- Richard Robertson
- Iva Dikovic
- Baiju Thittala
- Dinah Pounds
- Matthew Howard
- Nadia Lokmatova
- Daniel Lee
and to thank those exceptional councillors who lost seats – Simon Smith, Anna Smith, and Cameron Holloway.
And I’d like to welcome all those who have joined us. Not only have you lowered the average age of councillors in the chamber but you’ve brought a range of experience, insight and expertise, and you deserve thanks for stepping forward for election. I know putting myself forward was a hard decision but its one I’ve never regretted.
I look forward to getting to know all of you, and I will always make time to listen.
Lastly, special thanks go to Cameron, who showed integrity and kindness as a leader. It was especially apparent when he insisted that we continue with the local elections in Cambridge after we were asked as a council if we wanted to cancel them. He showed his commitment to democracy and to ensuring that residents would be given a real choice.
They made their choice, and we are now a very different council, which I am honoured to lead.
This new minority administration will champion a collaborative approach to local governance, with cross-party consultation, transparency, and a focus on delivering key community priorities that reflect the city’s evolving political landscape.
In order to make that happen I am introducing regular meetings between the leaders of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green groups, and a cross-party finance working group that will make budget-setting more collaborative and open.
Perhaps we can agree a budget together, and we’ll stop seeing ‘Delete all after..’ for amendments to council motions.
The new ways of working we are introducing reflect how I personally want to lead, but they also come from the constructive, extensive conversations we have had with representatives from both the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats, and I thank Cllr Bick and Cllr Bennett for this.
I look forward to working closely with the other group leaders and all elected members across the chamber. Representatives from all opposition groups, including the Conservatives and Your Party, have a vital and active role to play in the future success of Cambridge and we will work to include them.
I want to acknowledge the support of the Liberal Democrat group in developing the cooperative arrangements that enabled us to form this the new administration, and I have committed to reviewing and integrating key proposals from Cllr Bick which focus directly on improving local amenities and public spaces.
This will include immediate work reviewing proposals made around street cleaning, public toilets and public realm enforcement; options for controls on the concentration of smaller HMOs and short-term visitor accommodation; proposals on a potential citywide Public Spaces Protection Order to enhance police powers in relation to anti-social driving; and work to determine the council’s response to the recent Equalities Act guidance. We will work to protect the rights of the trans community within a non-threatening environment for all users.
These measures are expected to be widely welcomed by local residents and councillors alike as practical steps toward a cleaner, safer city for all.
To conclude, I am honoured to have been elected as Leader of Cambridge City Council and I will work to ensure that the City Council is able to operate effectively and deliver the services and policies our residents expect. People want us to focus on the issues that matter most to them – delivering good quality housing, protecting vital local services, supporting communities through the cost-of-living crisis, and ensuring Cambridge grows sustainably and fairly. I believe that Labour can work effectively with the other parties to find common ground around these fundamental issues, and continue our efforts to deal with the climate and biodiversity crises.
At the same time we have to manage the anticipated transition to a unitary authority and I await details of the Government’s plans so we can get to work. And we have to deliver our Local Plan in collaboration with South Cambs District Council. I know that councillors on all sides appreciate the importance of these issues and I will be consulting the other parties to find a common approach.
Cambridge faces significant challenges and opportunities in the years ahead, and I am committed to working with everyone in this Chamber, all our officers, and all our staff to provide stable, collaborative leadership focused on achieving the best outcomes for our city.
Thank you