The Council met to elect a new Lord Mayor and Leader of the Council, and to approve the establishment and composition of its standing committees. Councillor Karen Scarborough was elected as the new Lord Mayor, and Councillor Paul Swaddle was elected as the new Leader of the Council. The Council also approved the establishment of its standing committees, their terms of reference, and the proportional allocation of seats to political groups.

Election of Lord Mayor and Leader

The meeting began with the election of the Lord Mayor. Councillor Karen Scarborough was elected to the role, succeeding Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg. Following this, Councillor Paul Swaddle was elected as the new Leader of the Council, proposed by Councillor Tim Barnes and seconded by Councillor Caroline Sargent.

Constitutional Matters and Committee Structure

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to constitutional matters, focusing on the establishment and composition of the Council's standing committees. The Council agreed to establish several standing committees, including the Audit and Performance Committee, General Purposes Committee, Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and various Policy and Scrutiny Committees (P&S) aligned with Cabinet portfolios.

The terms of reference for these committees were approved, and the proportional allocation of seats was confirmed. The Strategic Planning Committee and Licensing Committee were allocated 15 seats each, with the remaining committees having 5 or 8 seats. The allocation reflected the political composition of the Council, with the Conservative Group securing 50 seats and the Labour Group 33 seats across the 83 available positions. The report noted a variance of one seat in favour of the Majority Group, attributed to the practical application of statutory principles and the revised committee structure.

The Council also endorsed its Constitution, including the Scheme of Delegations to Officers in respect of non-executive functions. Members appointed to the standing committees by the Chief Executive, following notification from the respective Group Whips, were noted.

Vote of Thanks to Past Lord Mayor

A vote of thanks was moved by Councillor Adam Hug and seconded by Councillor Hamza Taouzzale to the outgoing Lord Mayor, Paul Dimoldenberg, and his Lady Mayoress, Linda Hardman. Councillor Dimoldenberg then responded, reflecting on his 37 years of service to the city and his year as Lord Mayor. He expressed gratitude to his office team, his ward colleagues, and his wife, Linda, highlighting his experiences and the work of his chosen charities, the Avenues Youth Project and the Hotel School. He also reflected on his long career, including his role in exposing corruption and his pride in serving on the Labour Westminster City Council.

Report on Key Decisions and Special Urgency

The Council noted a report detailing key decisions taken under special urgency procedures during the 2025/26 municipal year. This report highlighted one instance where special urgency was invoked to approve the allocation of £1 million from the corporate risk reserve to establish a dedicated budget for cyber-incident response and recovery work. This decision was approved by Councillor Angela Piddock, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, on 20 February 2026.