The new people leading Westminster City Council &#8211; full list as Conservatives take power

There is also a new Leader of the Opposition after Labour became the minority party

A new Tory cabinet has been proposed for Westminster City Council following their win at the local elections on May 7. The Conservatives now hold 32 of the 54 seats on the council.

Councillor Paul Swaddle, who led the council before the 2022 elections, is now the Leader-Elect. He will officially be sworn in once he is voted leader at Full Council on May 20.

The Labour Group has also appointed a new Leader of the Opposition, after the party was ousted from power. Labour lost control of the council but still make up all of the remaining 22 seats.

Councillor Adam Hug, who previously served as Leader of the Council, has not made it to the opposition cabinet. Councillor Ellie Ormsby will instead become Leader of the Opposition.

Leader-Elect Paul Swaddle’s proposed cabinet team will be formally sworn in following the up-coming Westminster Full Council meeting.

This includes the creation of the new role, Cabinet Member for Enforcement, which will be filled by Councillor Caroline Sargent. She will also take up the joint post of Deputy Leader, alongside Tim Barnes. Councillor Barnes will also serve as the Cabinet Member for Growth and Planning.

Councillor Swaddle said: “It is the privilege of my life to be elected leader of Westminster City Council. This administration will be focused on listening to residents and delivering on the priorities they’ve told us about – safe streets, a clean city and action on issues like graffiti and dockless bikes.

“We want to be about practical action that residents can see straight away. Westminster is a fantastic city that millions pass through every year. But it is important those who contribute to its success – like teachers, police officers and health officers – get a chance to live in the city they serve. We will be working hard to make Westminster affordable for key workers.

“Local people want to see pledges turned into performance. So we will make Westminster accessible and transparent in the services it provides. This is an exciting new chapter for Westminster. I look forward to working with the help of our hugely talented team of officers to ensure this is a city people can grow up, work and prosper in.”

In opposition, Councillor Aicha Less will take up the joint post of Deputy Leader of the Opposition, alongside Councillor Robert Eagleton. Meanwhile, Councillor Nafsika Butler-Thalassis, who was previously joint Deputy Leader, will become Opposition Whip.

Further details of the full opposition cabinet will be released in due course, the Westminster Labour Group has said. Councillor Ellie Ormsby has praised the legacy of former Council Leader Adam Hug.

“Last week’s result was disappointing for our group and for everyone who has believed in the changes we’ve been making to build a fairer Westminster,” she said.

“I want to pay tribute to Cllr Adam Hug, who has been a phenomenal leader of the Labour Group over the last decade and an outstanding Leader of the Council for the last four years. Under Adam’s leadership, we achieved a huge amount together in delivering a fairer Westminster for our residents.

“While we are proud of that record, our job now is to provide strong and effective opposition. We will be watching the new Conservative administration closely, and we will hold them to account every step of the way.”