Transcript

I'd like to welcome councillors, guests, members of the public and officers to this annual meeting of full council. There are no fire alarms this evening, so if the alarm sounds, please leave the building by the nearest exit. The meeting point is on Buckner Road at the back of the town hall. The first item of business tonight is the election of the mayor for 2025-26. I'll be back a bit later to present my outgoing report, but for now, we move on to the election of the mayor. Can I call on councillor Cameron to move the motion to elect councillor Adrian Garden as mayor for the next municipal year? Thank you for what was right and knows how to challenge issue effectively. Adrian was married to the remarkable AE, who was a leader in the fair trade movement and together they fought a powerful couple dedicated to charitable causes, both home and abroad. I'm sure that they touch countless lives with their generosity and compassion. Adrian truly embodies the phrase, gentlemen, gentlemen. He is dapper, elegant and stylish. He dresses well for all individuals. Adrian is level-headed and considers the facts of each situation. His work ethic is unparalleled and he always stands up for what is right, taking on other people's problems as if it were his own. Adrian's empathy and dedication to justice and qualities will undoubtedly make him an exceptional mayor for landlords. Adrian possesses strong values and shows great respect for others, qualities that will also serve him well as men. But don't let Adrian's age fool you, as Adrian is extremely hard working and I know that he will try to fit in as many opportunities to engage with the community as possible. Adrian's commitment as a councillor is unwavering and his commitment to his children and grandchildren is equally commendable. They must be incredibly proud of him today, as well as we all are, and I'm certain that his beloved wife Aileen would be beaming with pride at his achievements. Adrian's commitment. In jest, councillor kind and I are giving Adrian a gavel to remind you all that he doesn't need to raise his voice, just one very judgmental eyebrow. According to what he does, he is saying thank you all, in line. There's a gamble. As we bid farewell. To our youngest mayor, with great pride and joy, we will welcome our eldest incoming mayor, the most distinguished councillor, Adrian Galton. Thank you, Councillor Cameron. Councillor Tiedemann, will you second the motion? Thank you, Mr Mayor, and well done on an incredible year. It's an honour to second the nomination of my friend Councillor Adrian Galton as Mayor of Lambeth. I first met Adrian when I moved to Brixton Hill, one road away from Adrian and his wife Aileen. There were fixtures of the local Labour Party, and Adrian had recently become the councillor for Vassal Ward. Now, we want to say that circumstances in Vassal were tricky, with Kate Hoey as MP, and forceful community representatives that Councillor Jackie Dyer and Councillor Anna Gallop will remember. But Adrian's co-councillor Steve Bradley promptly moved away from Lambeth to pursue ambitions to be a Liberal Democrat member of Parliament at the 2015 general election, somewhat of a fool's errand. And Adrian's other colleague, Councillor Kingsley Abrams, left the council and then the Labour Party as he too attempted to become an MP. Maybe there's something in the Vassal water. In 2013, Vassal had a by-election for a new councillor and Adrian worked tirelessly to elect Councillor Paul Gadsby. As Paul puts it, Vassal may have provided Adrian with a bumpy start to his time as a councillor, not least as he represented the community through one of Europe's largest home-building schemes at Myats North. But Adrian came through all of that with his typical cheerfulness. Now, Adrian isn't afraid to try new challenges, as his recent beard is testament to. In 2014, Adrian decided to leave the thrills of Vassal behind and seek selection in his rather calmer home ward of Brixton Hill, alongside Florence Eshalomi and myself. We quickly formed a strong bond as a team. Now, Adrian may have been the newest councillor at that time, but as Florence wrote to me just now, his tireless dedication and service to the community began long before. Many of you will now know the Brixton windmill on Blenheim Gardens. By 2002, it had become almost derelict and declared a building at risk. A year later, local residents formed the Friends of Windmill Gardens and Adrian was its chair. They and the council secured over £2 million in lottery and council funding to refurbish the windmill and turn it into the gem it is today. And then, as councillors, we campaigned for new education facilities there too. Adrian led the charge and we secured £1.2 million from the council to build the new education centre that is at the heart of so much community activity today. Another of Adrian's legacies in Brixton Hill, and of mental scars for him no doubt too, is the town hall itself and the civic buildings. We spent 10 years supporting local residents and businesses through planning, CPOs, refurbishment, demolition, construction. Adrian chaired difficult public meetings, negotiated planning changes and compensation and smooth over many egos on all sides. One or two will remember very well, won't we? I think we can all be proud of the outcome of the council's buildings. Somewhere up on the top of the civic centre is a steel beam Adrian and I signed, but more importantly, all around a science of Adrian's work in the fabric of the community in Brixton Hill and Lambeth more widely. As Councillor Maria Kaye, another of Adrian's former Brixton Hill colleagues said, the commitment of Adrian and his late wife Aileen to collecting items to fundraise for the Gaia Centre was highly valued and a highlight to the staff there. It underlined their commitment to public service and to their faith. Indeed, the Gaia Centre was one of the chosen charities Adrian and his family invited donations for at Aileen's funeral. So Adrian has made a lasting difference to Brixton Hill's community and its environment, and I can think of no one finer to be Lambeth's first citizen for the year ahead. Good luck Adrian. Thank you. Is the motion to appoint Councillor Adrian Garden as Mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth for 2025-26 agreed? As there were no other nominations or dissent, it gives me great pleasure to declare that Councillor Adrian Garden is elected Mayor for the ensuing municipal year. Mr Chief Executive, can I invite you to ask the newly elected Mayor to make his declaration of acceptance of office, please? Mr Chief Executive, I will take my oath of office. I, Adrian Garden, having been elected to the office of Mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth, I will declare that I take that office upon myself and will duly and faithfully fulfill the duties of it, to the best of my judgment and ability. ята Generalbon council Tuesdays Yeah and question and I am. Congratulations Councillor Adrian Garden! I look forward to working with you back remarks to the next year. !! This evening's meeting, please stand while we leave the chamber. This evening's meeting, please stand while we leave the chamber. Very well done. Thank you. Thank you. Please be seated. Good evening, Deputy Lieutenant Lambeth Council Officers, Lambeth councillors and guests. I am proud and honoured to have been elected this evening to the position of Mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth. As I see it, the role has three parts and I'm looking forward to carrying them all out. The first is to act as chair at full council meetings, which I seem to be doing already. Today should be easy. I'm in my honeymoon period, but I'm looking forward with some apprehension to future meetings when I will no doubt be challenged with skill and determination by colleagues with their points of order and points of information. The second role is even more daunting. The second role is even more daunting. I will be the ambassador for Lambeth both within the borough and to the outside world. Outside Lambeth, my aim will be that by the end of the year, people I meet in other boroughs, frequently mayors will say, ah Lambeth, that's the place, positive, positive, positive. Not, oh Lambeth. So negative, negative, negative. This will depend, of course, both on how I put across how wonderful Lambeth is and how wonderful and. the wonderful things it does, but also how they see me as their representative. So I'll always work hard to live up to, it worked, my frighteningly responsible and exalted position and bring credit to it. It is the people of Lambeth and its community groups that make Lambeth what it is. Those who support the council in making us a borough of sanctuary for asylum seekers. A borough that pays its workers a London living wage. A borough that gives millions of pounds in support to the more vulnerable members of our society. The council cannot do all that's needed by itself. It needs the support of the many community groups across the borough who in so many ways act out of love for their neighbours. And I'm looking forward to visiting as many of them as want a visit from the mayor. As a way of thanking them for the excellent work they carry out. A lot of them, though, need more assistance than just a visit from the mayor. Which leads me to the third part of my responsibilities. Raising money for the two charities that I've selected. The last mayor, John Paul, was the youngest mayor the borough has ever had. And not surprisingly focused on young people. I am probably the oldest mayor the borough has ever had. And therefore I feel obliged to focus on the older, not old, the older people. Speakers from each of them will tell you in a moment more about their charities. But I'll just explain why I chose them. The first charity is Age UK Lambeth, whose office is just across the road from here. I want to support their intergenerational activities. When I think of older people, not a group I actually mix with very much. I think of their wisdom and experience as well as their occasional need for help. And when I think of young people, I think not only of their physical fitness and how savvy they are with social media. But also of how they can benefit from the friendship of someone with more life experience than they have. So I'm very keen to support activities that bring both those groups together for their mutual benefit. My second charity is the food bank operating here in Lambeth. Although food banks were not originally set up to meet the needs of older people. As time has passed, they have been making up a higher percentage of people who need their help. I also have a more personal reason for choosing them. I used to collect food from their warehouse for our church's debt advisory service. I volunteered to be a warehouse person a couple of years ago. I continue to do that job and I'll continue to volunteer while I'm mayor. So as the chairing is going OK so far. And my first mayoral event will take place shortly in the mayor's parlour. I will hand over to my two guests to introduce the third tranche of my mayoral activities raising money for charity. So first up is Paul Coles of Age UK Lambeth. Paul. With his team. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate councillor Adrian Gardner on his election as mayor for Lambeth on behalf of us all at Age UK Lambeth. Tonight I'm joined by my volunteer befriended on our friend Bridget who will talk about their experience of our befriending service that we deliver in Lambeth. At the end of March 2025 we have 291 active friendships. To access the service you need to be age 55 or over and a Lambeth resident. During the financial year we had 145 referrals to the service. We provided 6570 interactions with our service users and our volunteers delivered 4,927 and a half hours of befriending support. which is equivalent to over 205 days. The World Health Organization recognized loneliness and social isolation as a serious health risk. The campaign to end loneliness reports of the health impacts of loneliness are similar to those associated with many factors that currently receive substantial. health impacts of mental health. Public health attention and resources such as obesity, physical inactivity and air pollution. The loneliness and isolation on mortality is comparable to the impact of well known risk factors such as obesity and has a similar influence as cigarette smoking. mental health impacts of mental health. and mental health. This is a cost of society with those who are lonely more likely to rely on the use of health and social care services. Loneliness is associated with more general practice contacts, emergency treatments and hospital admissions. of the people living alone 50% more likely to access emergency care services and 40% more likely to have more than 12 GP appointments over a year. And research also shows an association between loneliness and higher mental health care expenditure. So I'd just like to hand over the mic to Lauren and talk about ourselves. Hello. Hi everyone. It is truly an honour to be able to share a little bit about my experience with Age Action UK and Beth. So I started the volunteering process as a befriender several months ago and my goal really was just to give back to this amazing community. If the accident doesn't give it away, I'm not a local, but I did relocate here and I've just gained so much from living here. But I don't think I actually was expecting to, to get so much from this overall experience. You can't hear me at the back. Is this working? Is that a bit better? Not working. I can project it. It's working. Okay. Shouts. Shouts. We're not in a great technical age here, but we're trying. But I think the most important thing to remember is that Age Action and the Befriending Service isn't just a charity. It really is a great example of what can happen when you bridge generational gaps. It's an opportunity to learn between generations. It's an opportunity to bring people together in ways that are truly human. And through this program, I was paired with the incredible Bridget, who is a warm, compassionate, resilient woman, and who has just shown me so many new ways of experiencing the world. She's encouraged me to think and reflect really deeply on how we move through the world and recognize that each of us has such an important community to make it an accessible environment for every single person. I think the most important thing is if anyone is ever considering to get involved or is curious about this program, my simple advice is just take the leap. Don't think about it like a program or commitment. It is purely just creating a new connection and new friendship. It is like going out there and meeting anyone in a professional way. And I have just gotten so much from Bridget in this service and hopefully she's gotten a little bit too. So all I can say is thank you so much for having me today. Thank you, Bridget, for your friendship. And I think if you are curious to learn more, you know where the team are across the way. Thank you. Thank you very much, Paul. Thank you. I'd now like to call upon the Reverend Steve Chalk of the Oasis Trust, who is going to talk about food banks. Thank you. Thank you. That existed on planning for 200,000 years. And throughout that entire time, we have lived in small communities, villages, tribes. Throughout that entire time, no one has been brought up by a single person or even by a mother and father. Throughout that entire time, we've existed in community. Homo sapiens human beings are uniquely relational. We thrive on community. We struggle when we don't have community. No one is meant to live outside of community. Over the last 150, 200 years, 200 years of 200,000 years of brain development. To community, we've experimented with isolationist living. We are surrounded by people in our towns and in our cities. But the truth is, here in Lambeth, there are huge numbers of people who feel marooned and alone. And we all know it. And that's why you're involved in the work that you do. The Lambeth and now Croydon Food Bank, which is based at the Old St Martins High School for Girls, now called Oasis St Martins Village. Next to the church that Adrian's part of Holy Trinity. Lots of people here from Holy Trinity and working with a huge number of local charities that are now on site. Working alongside young people and their parents. Young people at risk of exclusion from school. Young people who often their parent, their parent, but they say this behind every struggling child is a parent that's struggling from one way, one way or the other. And behind every parent, they're struggling with the systems with, with not being able to fit in, not being able to cope. There's a lack of community. Oasis St Martins Village. Do come and see it on Tulsa Hill. Has lots of local charities who've become part of it. And right at the centre is the Lambeth and Croydon Food Bank. A giant warehouse there. But not just offering food, but offering advice and support. Offering community and belonging. Your Mayor has been, as he's already said, a volunteer. A volunteer at that food bank for a long time. And also a member of the church. So it works hand in hand with that food bank. I know that Adrian is coming to volunteer on Monday. Again, which is a wonderful thing. A real model of leadership. And what the food bank alongside all of those other charities. Meeting the needs of people in different ways there. Is creating community. Right beside the food bank. Is we're building. Just building a training kitchen. And Jamie Oliver's charity. Which is called Ministry of Food. Is going to offer training. Through local. Working as trainers. To after the 400 local residents a year. So people come in. Seeking emergency food. But seeking community. Seeking home. And given the opportunity. To learn about nutrition. And to learn about menu preparation. And find community. Through an eight week training course. They find. What they've always been looking for. Relationship. I commend to you. The Lambeth and Croydon food bank. Last year. Ser. Creating 27,000 food banks. 65% of the families. Served by the food bank. Were families with children. We are all community animals. And the food bank does an extraordinary job. Right across this parlour and beyond. In creating community. For those who most need it. I believe. And I know you believe. Too. That if we invest in our children. And our young families. And provide them with support. That is a policy. That we pay. And pay. And pay. So. If we fail to invest. In our children. And their families. Those children. And their families. Become cross to us. Time after time. After time. And invest. In families. To end poverty. To create hope. Is not only. The moral and human fate of it. It is the. Smartest economic rate. That we can make. Together. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Steve. Thank you very much. Thank you Steve. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you Steve. Thank you very much. I look forward to serving the people of Lambeth. In my year as mayor. And I am humbled. Be given this honour. Thank you. And we now move to the next item of business. The next item of business is election of Deputy Mayor. Can I call on Councillor Spencer to move the motion to appoint Councillor Banton as Deputy Mayor. Thank you. Thank you. I can't believe I get to be the first person to say this, but thank you Mr Mayor. That felt very natural calling you that. I'm pleased today to support the nomination of my Gypsy reward colleague, Councillor Christine Banton, as the next item of business. Deputy Mayor of Lambeth. Christine's dedication to our borough and our local community is clear for all to see. For over 37 years, she's been a resident of Gypsy Hill, but more than that, a neighbour and a friend to many of our residents. I can't believe I get to be the first person to say this, but thank you Mr Mayor. That felt very natural calling you that. I'm pleased today to support the nomination of my Gypsy reward colleague, Councillor Christine Banton, as the next Deputy Mayor of Lambeth. Christine's dedication to our borough and our local community is clear for all to see. For over 37 years, she's been a resident of Gypsy Hill, but more than that, a neighbour and a friend to many of our residents. Christine's always keen to find ways to improve our area. Most recently, she worked with residents on Durning Road and Salters Hill to create wonderful plants to be filled with plants and flowers for pollinators. She actually discovered on this day a hidden talent for woodwork. So next time I'm stuck with furniture, Christine, I will let you know. Christine understands different challenges faced by residents and her experience as a mental health advocate has been crucial in supporting individuals who face mental health issues and also domestic violence. As Lambeth's Vogue champion, I know she cares deeply about this. Tackling gender based violence is something here in Lambeth we lead the way on funding the highest number of refuge beds and working with organisations like Refuge and the Guy Centre. It is so important that we have voices like Christine's championing this and ensuring that we continue to support women and girls in the face of violence. We thank you for all your work in this area, Christine, and I know you will always speak up for women and girls across Lambeth. Locally, Christine has worked really hard to campaign the investment in Gypsy Hill. She is passionate about getting our residents access to high quality and affordable housing like Roman Rise, where we've delivered new affordable housing for our residents. I know that Christine, as I am, are so proud to see this in our ward and we know that our residents are too. Christine also recently visited two new family homes on Bloom Hall Road, which had a passive house retrofit, which is where the work involves upgrading building fabric to maximise thermal efficiency and, importantly, are ready for new families. It was so great to visit this with Christine. She always shows a keen interest in learning about new things and about sustainability initiatives. She asks so many questions and equips herself with lots of interesting knowledge, which she passionately shares with our residents and colleagues. In her role as a councillor, Christine has acted as a bridge between the council and residents. She ensures that voices are heard and that needs are addressed. In addition to her council duties, Christine served as a governor at Archbishop's Tennyson Church of England High School, demonstrating her commitment to education and the next generation of our young people in Lambeth. Christine is a local community champion for Gypsy Hill and Lambeth, and with her commitment to public service and experience improving the lives of residents, I believe she would make a fantastic deputy mayor. Thank you. Will Councillor Meldrum second the motion? Mr Mayor, first of all, I'd like to congratulate you on your election as mayor of this council for the coming year. If you spend any time with Councillor Benton out in the community, in her local neighbour, you will see how embedded she is there. Christine is trusted and respected, and frequently she is waylaid in the streets from people saying thank you for previous help, or seeking additional help now, or just saying hello. As a Norwood councillor myself, I'm also more than pleased to see Norwood councillors in high visibility positions. It is nearly 20 years since Norwood has had a councillor appointed to mayor or deputy. Anyone holding that role knows the mayor and deputy are the most well known of all councils. Sorry, front bench, but... And they're widely welcomed to events across the borough representing the council. Those gold chains work magic. That's maybe what the front bench need to wear. Now, I first met Christine some years ago. I'd visited the community shop in Norwood, which, if any of you have been there, it's this marvellous place. It's not quite as big as what we're hearing about this St. Martins thing, but it's a wonderful shop where people buy cheap food, treat you with respect, seek self-esteem, do some training, eat some lovely cooked food. And it was a community shop who were involved in the Project Smith programme, which was designed, I think funded by the health service to promote resilience and connectivity locally. Christine was an early cohort of the Project Smith trainees. And I had a senior position in council there, so I invited them, the team, on a tour of the town hall. To help communicate, how does a council work? How do you get things done? And while it was in this very room, the trainees took turns to sit at the top table. And it was rather a long time ago and it was before the age of selfies. So I'm not sure how many much records we've got, but maybe there was the odd photo, but it was certainly before selfies. So it's great to see that the investment, Christine's investment has followed through and see her first elected as a councillor, where she is, as we've heard, championed the communities of Gypsy Hill, investing in families, mental health work, tackling domestic violence, really addressing households in poverty. It's such a big issue, important issue, Christine, but above all, and certainly in the last couple, two or three years, there's been Christine's commitment, the dedication to the sickle cell policy, where to make changes in the NHS. And it's not just the NHS sickle cell, it affects transport, it affects housing, it affects leisure. So Christine has done tremendous work there and we have to really appreciate that. So tonight I have no hesitation in supporting the nomination of Christine Banton as Deputy Mayor, who will be a great support to Adrian Garden in his role as Mayor for 25.6, and particularly helping with the community support charities that we've heard from now, a really good fit with Christine. So well done, Christine. I'm really delighted to support you tonight. So, is the motion to appoint Councillor Christine Banton as Deputy Mayor for the London Borough of Lambeth for 2025 to 2026 agreed? As there were no other nominations or dissent, I'm pleased to declare that Councillor Christine Banton is elected Deputy Mayor for the ensuing Municipal Year. Mr. Chief Executive, could I invite you to ask the Deputy Mayor to make her declaration of acceptance of office, please? Thank you. Councillor Christine Banton, congratulations on being elected as Deputy Mayor of Lambeth. I will now invite you to ring and sign the acceptance of office. Thank you. I will take my oath of office. I, Christine Banton, having been elected as Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth, declare that I take that office upon myself and will truly and faithfully fulfil the duties of it, willing to the best of my gentlemen and abilities. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations Councillor Christine Banton, I look forward to working with you over there. Moving on to the next item, the Retiring Mayor's Report. I would like to call the former Worshipful Mayor, Councillor John Paul Ennis, to present his outgoing report to Council. They told me that this year will go fast. But boy, we do. It feels like yesterday I was up there myself. That would be a bit of advice. My first bit of advice to you, Mr Mayor, is to get things going as quickly as you can, and to really enjoy your time, because it really does not last long. Um, it's been a huge, huge honour to represent this borough, where I was born, where I'm from, where my mum's from, where her parents are from, where their parents are from, and where their parents are from, so by the way back then. It's been a crazy time, full of incredible experiences, from the Carnegie Show, to religious events, from citizenship ceremonies, to soup kitchen, to school visits, to hosting the first ever Battle of Borough's eSports events. For the, maybe older people in the room, like eSports are basically competitive video games. I've also been viral very few times. Videos of me getting almost 4 million views. Some bits very cool, some bits wasn't too. But I hope that those moments help change how young people perceive politics, and what it means to be involved in these kind of spaces. We've opened our doors and gone tours in the town hall, hundreds of young people from different primary schools across the borough. They were in these very council chambers, wearing the robes, pretending to be the mayor for the day. And it's also been amazing to support so many events throughout the year, and different colleges. Particularly my two chosen charities, Brickson Street Gym, and Young People Matter. So I'd like to thank everyone who supported them and donated to our funding. They'll really appreciate it. From growing up in the council in the state of Stockholm, becoming the youngest mayor of the mayor of the town so far. And I say so far, because a big reason I wanted to stand as mayor was to break down these kind of barriers, and to inspire younger people. But I can see that they can occupy these positions like this, and they can also take part. One interaction that always sticks in my mind is that when I went to visit my charity YPM at the Houston lot in the estate of Melbourne. I had a couple of young people come up to me, they saw me in the chain, and they were like, what's that called? I was like, oh, I'm a mayor of town. They were like, what? You can't look at that. I was like, why not? They said, the mayor doesn't dress like that. The mayor doesn't sound like me. And the mayor doesn't have time to come to a place like this. And it triggered me a bit. Because I said, well, I'm a mayor. I grew up in the state. And you are important. So of course, the mayor has time to you. And if I could be a mayor, then you can come to you. So I said, he googled me. But you'd be surprised how many of these similar types of conversations I had with young people over the years, over the years. Some of them have already had that kind of self energy. And these kinds of mindset shifts are so, so important for our young people to have. So I'm hoping now that you've already had that kind of self energy. And these kinds of mindset shifts are so, so important for our young people to have. So I'm hoping now, for too long, to have a young person come up, become the mayor and break that youngest record that I have. I'd also like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity and the privilege of representing you and the borough as your first citizen. So I'd like to thank my fiance for putting up with me, being away with time being busy. I'd like to thank it wasn't, I wouldn't just a man for young people, but for all of Lambourne. So it genuinely has been an honour of a lifetime. And I wish you, Mr Mayor, the best of luck in your role. I know you're going to be amazing. I had a great time working with you as well. And I've always been on hand to all very much support me every year. So, thank you. Thank you very much. So, therefore, can I call Councillor Ainsley to say a few words? Yes, you can. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Mayor. And huge congratulations to you, the youngest mayor. It's, you know what, you're such an impressive young person, you're such an impressive person, full stop. And as someone that grew up in a council estate myself with a single parent, I know that that experience never really leaves you. And I love the humility that you have and solidarity with you. And I wish you all the very best for the future. I think you're a great guy. To another great guy. Thank you. Thanks. Adrian, yeah, I first heard about you before I ever knew about you as a councillor. And your reputation went before you for very, very good reasons. The reasons that we've already heard explained this evening. About how you would meticulously sit down and help people manage their debt. And how patient you were with people and taking them through step by step. For some people managing money is easy, but for some people they've just got a blind spot about it. And all credit to you for that. We've worked together on many committees. I welcome, I remember a time a few years ago, you sat opposite and I said, I'm on the corporate committee. I want openness, transparency and accountability. And you went, yes. And we got there. We did some good work. And sadly, I think since we both left the committee, I think it might have slipped a little bit. But hopefully here's a challenge to get back up there. But I'm working on the pensions committee. Of course, you were always very good at making sure that new members understood concepts or gave time and all of that. I wish you all the luck in your role. I think you will be a great first citizen of Lambeth. What else? Yes, just something that's coming up on the doorstep about old people and digital exclusion. The amount of people and Jackie brings, Councillor Mildred brings it up all the time. It really is a major issue in the world that's fighting a by-election at the moment. And the point that this gentleman made about being isolated. So please, the charity that you've chosen, Age UK and the mental health affecting, please, let's make this genuinely an accessible borough. This lady was so distressed she went to her friends because she couldn't get online. She said, I've gone to the Civic Centre. I want to pay my rent every week to keep myself calm. But some people are living with that. So I'm glad that you've got that charity. And I hope I wish very well. Please look out for that. And congratulations as well, Christine, for being deputy mayor. I wish you all the work that you've been doing on sickle cell is absolutely tremendous and violence against women and girls. I'll shut up now because I can see people want me to sit down. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Councillor Aisley. Can I call upon Councillor Curtis to say a few words? Yes, Mr Mayor, thank you very much indeed. And many congratulations unto you also, Councillor Banton. Mr Mayor, John Paul, I'm going to call you Mr Mayor just for one more night. Thank you very much indeed for that update and your year of dedication and service to this great council. Being mayor of the borough is no mean feat. And whilst yourself and may I say your predecessors look relaxed at times, I know that you and your team were furiously paddling underneath the surface to be at every event representing the actions and decisions that are taken in this room and by this council. Fans of my speeches to this council will know, be that kind of consciously or subconsciously, well know how desperately I'm clinging to my youth or my relative youth in this chamber. And that's why I was so happy to hear of your appointment as deputy mayor and then later as mayor last year. Your story of a local lad being born and raised in this borough will inspire young people from across our area to not see politics and the political decisions we take as them and those people, but as us and our community. Young people feel more disconnected from the political system than they ever have previously. But stories like your own speak to the fact that there is still hope for us all. I know how seriously you've taken your role as a youth engagement leader. And I know the young people of the young people of Lambeth will miss you immensely in your role. We the Lib Dems are looking forward to engaging with with the new mayor council of the garden, but one is placed on record. Our thanks to you for all of your hard work over the course of last year. So JP, thank you. Thank you, Councillor Curtis. Can I call? Oh, you're way ahead of me. Way ahead of me. Can I call on Councillor Hashi to say a few words? Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. David Amos told me I had to make a humding of a speech. So here I go. I had to check it was a bad word before I said it. I first met JP in 2016 when he was running a project called We Are Undivided. Even then I was struck by his boundless energy and focus. That project was about giving a voice to young people around issues like Brexit, and he only engaged a measly 4 million young people in that project. It has been an absolute pleasure seeing him grow or seeing his growth since his election in 2022, but even more so during his morality in the last year. I truly feel as though I've gained a brother. Many people know JP lost his mum at the age of 19 and then in 2023 he lost his father just before he became mayor. But I'm sure we can all agree that they would have been immensely proud. One of his trademarks has become his casual dress when wearing the chain, especially tracksuits, which I'm so proud of. He was even quoted in the Daily Mail as constantly saying, it's mad, I can't lie and it's sick. I know many people may disapprove of this, but we must not forget how politicians are viewed in this current time, out of touch, disingenuous and unrelatable. He has been a breath of fresh air and a saving grace for many of our residents and inspired many people previously not interested in politics. Remember, 14 years of Tory austerity will do that to you. I can't tell you the amount of charity matches that he has played in just to prove his youthfulness and embarrass us. It was during this time that I realised I've actually forgotten how to run. I have seen him engage with, empower and inspire children and young people from all backgrounds. He's been on stage at the country show with hundreds of young people reposting and commenting. OMG, he's so young. That's oh my God for the older people in there. He has allowed everyone to feel like they have a mare they can talk to and engage with. He literally gives everyone his time, which is probably why he's always late. On top of going viral a number of times on various social media platforms, he got engaged to his long term partner Talani upstairs. If you've met her and her mum, you know we'll definitely keep him on the straight and narrow. He will now take on the role as policy lead for young people, which I know he will thrive in. He has had an opportunity to learn an enormous amount during this year. One thing is for sure, he won't be talking about getting joined around in limos anymore. So let us put our hands together to celebrate the year we have had with the youngest mayor in London and in the land of history, but also the year ahead with the most life experienced mayor in our history, the fabulous Aidan Garden. Thank you. Thank you Councillor Hashi. I would also like to thank Councillor Ennis for his service and have the pleasure of presenting him with the past mayor's badge on behalf of the Council. That concludes the ceremonial part of the meeting. We now have a few more items of business to deal with, but before we move on, please can my guests accompany the deputy lieutenant to the mayor's parlour for my reception, and I will join you with the rest of the councillors shortly. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. See you soon. Everybody sit down, please. We're about to resume. Item four, councillors. Item four is declarations of pecuniary interest. Does any councillor wish to make a declaration of interest on any business before the council of business tonight? I see none. Nobody has indicated, so we will move on to the next item. The next item is the minutes from the meeting held on the 5th of March 2025. Are the minutes of the meeting held on the 5th of March 2025 agreed as a correct record? Item six, announcements. Apologies for absence have been set out on the order paper. If there are any more, please inform democratic services after the meeting. Thank you, council. We now turn to agenda item seven. We now move to the leader of the council. Cabinet portfolios, other administration and opposition appointments. Report, which is set out at agenda item seven. So councillors Ainslie, Bryant and Holland have indicated they wish to speak on this item. You have up to three minutes to speak. So can I call first of all on councillor Ainslie. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Mayor. The updated cabinet portfolios for this year reveals Labour's inconsistent and top down leadership style in both detail and overall approach. Firstly, we note the deletion of reference to the ethical care charter from the cabinet member for healthier communities portfolio only one year after the council signed on to it. The charges and cooperation was a result of a multi year campaign by Unisim and we support the request to reinstate this explicit wording to show ongoing commitment and prioritization of care workers. Another deletion is the entire equalities, governance and change portfolio. Again, only one year on from its creation. By removing governance from any cabinet portfolio, you're failing to tackle the elephant in the room as identified by all objective and external reviewers, peer reviews, auditors, ombudsman statements. This cabinet system is typical of Labour's top down approach and authoritarian style we are seeing at a national level too. Labour always tells us about its diversity, but we're not seeing diversity of thought being practiced. Both the 2015 and 2024 peer review recommended that this council makes an effort to bring residents along with it and ensure it's listening to them, but Labour are unable to bring even their own councillors along. May I remind you what Sonya Winifred said following her resignation last year. For 10 years I've served with enthusiasm and commitment, never becoming complacent, never forgetting I was elected by the community to serve the community, to listen and to speak on their behalf, ensuring their voices are heard loud and clear in the council chamber. For Labour to have lost the faith of a former councillor such as Sonya is a damning reflection of its leadership. Sonya is a veteran activist, campaigner and ardent supporter of human rights. She has told me of a disillusionment with the diminishing social value of the Labour Party. The Greens are not afraid of ideological challenge. We believe inclusion grows our movement and makes us agile and adaptive. The Greens will always be open and welcoming to anyone who shares our vision and uncompromising values of social and environmental justice. That is why I'm delighted to announce to the full council this evening that Sonya has found a new political home with the Lambeth Green Party. Thank you. Oh, you finished. I was going to say just for the avoidance of doubt with the other speakers as well, we are at the moment in Perda, so you cannot say anything this electioneary. I said that after you finished speaking, you finished, so thank you. And move on therefore please to Councillor Bryant, bearing that in mind. Mr Mayor, I would similarly like to congratulate you on your appointment as Mayor and also welcome the appointment of Councillor Banton as your deputy. I wish you both a productive year and will be keeping a keen eye on your TikTok accounts as well. We'd also like to welcome Ian Davis to his first meeting as our new chief executive as well. We know from the report the leaders appointments to Cabinet and their portfolios and obviously I'd like to congratulate Councillor Brinson on his elevation to Cabinet, although I will certainly miss your cheerful presence on the Corporate Parenting Board. Looking through the papers, I'm intrigued by the new portfolio that encompasses digital data and resident experience. So it's alluded to by Councillor Ainslie. It is clearly clear to us that there's much that the Council can do by harnessing digital technology to improve services and reduce costs. But when we're doing this, we need to make sure that this will be the benefit of all residents that we serve rather than creating obstacles that leave them distanced from the Council. But we've heard a little bit about digital exclusion from other previous speakers. And nowhere is this more needed than the case of housing repairs, where time and again tenants find themselves chasing their tails, trying to get updates on the repairs, calls made or to find the correct person to speak to. So we'll be following the work of councillors Diana and Cowell with keen interest here. And in conclusion, we are also all too aware of the financial challenges that the Council faces. These were laid bare in the statutory letter that the external auditors sent to the Council at the end of February. We will be scrutinising the Council's response to the auditor's recommendations. In particular, we hope to see meaningful progress this year in transferring the operations of Homes for Lambeth back into the Council's control. But only then can this sorry saga be brought forward, can be brought to a close and the Council will move forward in such an important area. Thank you. Thank you. May I call on Councillor Holland to speak now, please? Thank you, Mr Mayor. Before I address the appointments report, I just wanted to say congratulations to you, Mr Mayor. Councillor Ennis has had a fantastic mayoral year. He's an inspiration to the young people of Lambeth and to those of us who might be slightly less young. He is a hard act to follow, Mr Mayor, but I know you will rise to the occasion in your own indomitable way and bring your unique style to the first citizen of Lambeth. And congratulations to Councillor Banton for being elected deputy mayor. Mr Mayor, it's with great pride that I reflect upon the huge progress made both nationally and locally over the last 12 months. Our new Labour government has inherited an unholy mess, which they are seriously and painstakingly sorting out, rebuilding the country after 14 years of economic and social vandalism. And this Lambeth Labour administration has continued to deliver despite local government being in its worst financial crisis due to 14 years of Tory and Dem austerity, 14 years of cruel cuts that have stripped away public services with us having to do more with less. We continue to invest in our communities and support the most vulnerable with labour values at the heart of all we do. We have already implemented our 2022 manifesto commitment regarding ethical care charter and it's integrated into our policies and practices. We have one of the lowest council tax rates in the country and yet one of the most generous council tax support schemes and cost of living support packages helping thousands of low income residents. We've supported over 16,000 families during school holidays and thousands more children with preschool meals, bringing over £3 million into schools and saving families hundreds of pounds a year. We continue to lead on climate action, delivering on our manifesto commitment to plant 5,000 trees by 2026, protect our children with school streets and create healthier, safer neighbourhoods. We've invested in and protected our 10 libraries and our award winning parks from £1.4 million investment in Sudson Norwood Park to the £8 million Brockwell Hall project, installing a ground source heat pump, preserving and protecting the environment and Brockwell Hall for future generations. And we continue to build homes, affordable homes at Patmos Lodge, Hicks Yard and Roman Rise, homes that were opposed by the Lambeth Green Party, but for which I make no apology, Mr Mayor, homes housing the homeless families of Lambeth. And it is a testament to the hard work of our staff and partners that we continue to deliver for the people of Lambeth. And our residents depend on us to do that, deliver, get things done, not just shout from the sidelines. Challenges such as we face nationally and locally require leadership, bold decision makers and community champions who reflect the diversity of our borough and our labour group and our appointments do exactly that. I am delighted to welcome Councillor Bridson to lead Health and Equalities with Councillor Manley Brown, bringing his lived experience as a care leaver to better inform and shape our work. And I welcome Councillor Judith Kavanagh as Deputy Cabinet to support Councillor Amos to steer us through the most challenging financial landscape whilst continuing to support the most vulnerable. And I want to thank Councillor. And I want to thank Councillor Tim Windle for his work, stepping in and stepping up. His contributions will be sorely missed in Cabinet. You truly are a team player, Councillor Windle. I'm proud to commend to Council tonight our Deputy Cabinet Policy Lead and Champion appointments. They reflect the wonderful diversity of our borough and the diversity of talent that brings strong local labour voices we need to deliver for our residents. Thank you, Mr Mayor. Thank you, Councillor Holland and thank you to the other speakers as well. So Council is now asked to note the report and the appointments. Note. Thank you. The report and appointments have been noted. Moving on to item eight on the agenda. The next report agenda item eight sets out the political balance of the Council and the allocation of group places on each committee. Councilors Ainsley, Bryant and O'Hara have indicated they wish to speak on this item. You each have three minutes to speak. So Councillor Ainsley. Thank you, Mr Mayor. And let me say welcome to Ian as the new Chief Executive. I wish you luck in the role, Ian. We're disappointed to be saying the exact same thing as the last AGM. It's Groundhog Day Year 11. With the committee appointments marking another year of Lambeth's unrepresentative, undemocratic, mark your own homework echo chamber. One party state of a style of administration. Curtailing in depth scrutiny of Council decision making and denying representation for the half of Lambeth's population that didn't vote for Labour in 2022. Scrutiny committee members should be there to critically review and scrutinise council decisions and policies signed off by the cabinet. The Labour group likes to maintain that there's diverse group of councillors ensure full scrutiny. But this is a group where, as we have witnessed over the past year, alternative thinking and questioning of the cabinet can be severely punished. This approach is not conducive to full scrutiny. Cabinet members are not allowed to sit on scrutiny committees for obvious reasons. Yet all four scrutiny committees have a chair or a vice chair from the obedient Labour group. It hasn't always been the case. Back in 2009, some of the committees were chaired by members of the opposition. Why are you so scared of doing so now when we know the best value is achieved when the chair is an opposition councillor? Labour government guidance from 2006 stated that where there is a majority group, local authorities should consider giving the chair to members outside the major group. And in 2015, Centre for Public Scrutiny report hiding in plain sight barriers to effective council scrutiny states the best, most if confident leaders accept and welcome challenge as helping them improve what they do. It's in this spirit that we have constantly approached the administration to accept an opposition group councillor to at least be a vice chair on one of the scrutiny committees. Unfortunately, at no time has this been agreed and the council and its leadership is poorer for it. We have also advocated for an independent member to be appointed to scrutiny. What are you going to do about that? More than 22% of Lambeth residents voted Green. The makeup of the council would be very different if we had proportional representation. So I encourage colleagues in the Labour group to do the right thing and insist that opposition councillors not only sit on all four scrutiny committees, but also have the opportunity to act as chair or at least vice chair. Thank you. Thank you, councillor Ainsley. What? I now call on councillor Bryant. Thank you again, Mr Mayor. It was a very dry subject and, as councillor Ainsley said, probably at risk of repeating comments made in previous meetings. Nonetheless, when we look at the allocation of seats, I can see that the proposals made do achieve the political proportionality that the law requires on the committees where this is a requirement. Indeed, I'm actually pleased to see also that the investigating committee has been added to this list this year, although this begs the question, I think, of why this was not the case in the last three years. However, as councillor Ainsley has said, it remains scandalous that the 48% of voters who did not support the Labour Party in the last elections here in Lambeth are represented by just seven of the 39 councillors on these seven committees. Reform of the system by which members of local authorities are elected is long overdue. We're also disappointed to see that yet again the chair of the overview and scrutiny committee and the chairs of the three scrutiny subcommittees are to be filled by Labour councillors. As we have stated at previous meetings, for scrutiny to be effective, at the very least, the scrutiny subcommittees should be chaired by councillors from one of the opposition groups. We also support proposal from the Green Group that there should be an independent member on the overview and scrutiny committee. Having myself sat on the corporate committee for the past three years, I have seen at first hand the value of having somebody there independent of the political process, but who comes with first hand experience of the areas that are being discussed. We firmly believe that more can be done to improve transparency and accountability in the Council's decision making. We will continue to use our places on these committees to achieve this end. Thank you, Councillor Bryant. I now call on Councillor O'Hara, who is ready to speak. Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor, and welcome. So there's a very familiar refrain in these calls from the members of the Lib Dems and Greens to chair a committee. We've all heard them before, but it's very important that we set the record straight once again, and that's what I'm here to do. So let me set it out for you. The fine, sensible people of Lambeth have voted 58 Labour councillors to represent them. That's the result of the majority of people in 23 wards out of 25 voting for Labour representatives. They know that Labour councillors will understand their lives best and will be able to reflect their needs and values best. That's because Labour councillors share those values and they work hard. And because the Labour councillors here in this room have an extremely broad range of lived experiences. We represent our communities because we are a part of those communities. We represent residents from West Norwood to Waterloo, from Clapham to Gypsy Hill and in Brixton and Stockwell. We don't just all live in a corner of Streatham or if a tiny bit of Clapham. We know how diverse Lambeth is and we're proud of that. We are a part of that. We have plenty to say on behalf of our residents. We amplify their voices and work hard to make sure that a range of opinions are heard. Not just those, often the most confident and comfortable, who shout the loudest. Our committees encourage scrutiny and challenge. And to that end, we have four of the five opposition councillors sitting on those scrutiny committees. And the other one sits on planning. And the five have to double up or triple up, maybe, to sit on licensing, pensions board, pensions committee, standards committee, corporate committee and the health and wellbeing board. As well as external bodies such as the Lambeth First Safer Lambeth Partnership, South London Relief and Sickness Fund and the West Norwood Cemeteries Management Board. And it's hardly right for the opposition to say that representation means putting the same two green members on everything, as that just prevents others from taking part, doesn't it? So there is representation of the opposition councillors on our core committees and especially on our scrutiny committees. We are generous with this, but we are also realistic. Lambeth voted Labour and its Labour councillors who are the best people to represent them. And I recommend the allocation of seats. Lambeth O'Hara and the other two speakers. We will be voting on this report later in the meeting, but we now move on to the next item of business, which is in relation to the council's constitution for 2025-26. Updates to the committee membership appendix have been published. Councilors Ainsley Harris and Bryan have indicated they wish to speak on this item. You have up to three minutes each to address the council and Councillor Ainsley is ready to go. Thank you, Mr Mayor. As we've said time and again, in order for this council to be truly representative, the Greens should have a seat on the Constitutional Working Group. This schedule of changes is evidence of this. The only reason the Budget and Policy Framework is being updated is because we reported that it was out of date. And we've made valuable changes when we had a seat on the Constitutional Working Group previously about contributions like DBS checks for all councillors. I mean, we would have liked to see this implemented earlier and we continue to believe that enhanced checks should be baseline for all members, especially given Lambeth's past. As usual, Greens fight hard to have an impact with few tools at our disposal. But without a seat on the Working Group, we cannot stop authoritarian rules by a one party state to weaponise the Constitution against opposition groups and the residents they represent. Last year, Lambeth Labour were humiliated by our ceasefire motion. And instead of standing on the right side of history, their reaction was to make constitutional changes that prevented motions on international matters being brought forth. Despite Lambeth's proud history of taking a stand on global human rights issues in this chamber. These same rules would have prevented past motions on Ukraine, apartheid, reparations. These issues matter to our residents and we know because they continue to tell us. And you always say that you won't be lectured by the Greens, but Lambeth residents can see through your self-righteousness and know that this campaign to stifle opposition voices is just a defensive knee-jerk move to maintain the status quo by a threatened incumbent party with no real ideology except survival and desperately clinging on to power. The Labour government has flip-flopped on Gaza, flip-flopped on austerity and now it's flip-flopping on trans rights. Just last year, this council carried a Labour motion backing a transformative five-year plan for LGBTIQ plus rights, which included protection for trans young people and trans healthcare. But now the Prime Minister is making statements about which bathrooms they should use. This was not a requirement of the Supreme Court judgment. Why suddenly swing so far to the right on this issue? This erratic inconsistency is proof that Labour has no foundation. And the Lambeth Labour's efforts to control the constitution are not about relevance, council time or councillor's safety. They're about self-preservation and suppression of dissent. With 22% of the vote behind us, a seat on the working group is justified. We are pleased to say that our Lib Dem colleagues now think so too. And the Greens will put residents first every time acting with integrity, humility and humanity. Even if it means putting ourselves on the front line. Democracy would be better served with a Green voice in every room. And after the next election, you may have to hear one whether you like it or not. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Engelie. Thank you, Mr. Mayor and huge congratulations. And can I say, I think the role suits you perfectly. The Constitution Working Group report is admittedly not the most thrilling item on the agenda, often dry and overlooked. But at our recent Liberal Democrat Spring Conference, that perception was completely turned on its head. Agenda item F10 regarding Lib Dem controversial constitutional change lit up the Harrogate Convention Centre, sparking spirited debate and passionate contributions from all sides. In true Lib Dem fashion, we saw a weekend full of lively discussion, firm opinions. Yes, but always underpinned by respect, civility and democratic values. No anger, no abuse, no sanctions, just politics how it should be. Whilst many view constitutions as technical documents best left to the back pages, we must never forget their purpose to uphold justice and sure fairness and protect democracy. They matter and and when we look across the US to the US, we're reminded how quickly democratic norms can erode when constitutional safeguards are undermined. Our own framework, even at local level, is critical to preventing such decline. This particular report may not be controversial, but it contains some important wins for good governance. At our last working group meeting, we secured a welcome agreement that responses to council questions will be timely, relevant and not hijacked by political point scoring. Residents deserve answers, not political theatre. And let's be honest, nobody can claim that 4 minutes and 24 seconds or 4 minutes and 28 seconds, as we saw in respect responses at last full council, is an efficient use of time. That's nearly double the length of an opposition statement or a motion speech. We should aim to inform, not to grandstand. Constitution should ensure that any group remains transparent and accountable, not only to itself, but more importantly to the people it represents. In our case, that means the residents of Lambeth. That's why opposition voices must be part of the process and why we fully support Councillor Ainslie's proposals to include the Green Group on the Constitution Working Group. I urge the administration to take up this request seriously. It's not about party politics. It's about fairness. It's about showing the people of Lambeth that this council values every single voice and is committed to being a place where democracy works for all. Let's please lead by example. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Harris. Now I call upon Councillor Bryan. Thank you, Mr Mayor. I agree with Councillor Harris that constitution might not be the most thrilling topic, but I will endeavour to at least talk about it unless some of my predecessors rather than in decently invoking elements of the past. The constitution is the essence of the council and defines its mission to the people of Lambeth and over the last month. It has been revised to refocus the rules of cabinet on the principles of inclusivity delivery and equity, which will be the standards by which we will succeed and be judged. Lambeth is one of the youngest boroughs in London, so Councillor Kind's portfolio will expand to include young people focusing the role on the development of youth services and through the Lambeth Youth Council, putting young people at the heart of decision making scrutiny. Councilors Britson and Manley Brown will ensure that these decision making processes strive to be inclusive, taking account of protected characteristics and embedding equality and anti-racism across council policies. It may have been corrected, but it's again it's worth pointing out Councillor Ainslie mentioned some deletion of the ethical care charter. Whereas we are proud that councillors Dyer and Windle have already delivered on this and enshrined it, providing an extra 1 million pay boost for home care workers. That's 1,400 in people's pockets, which guarantees them travel, sick pay and regular training. Again, another example, brains talk, labour delivers change, and that's the choice. These constitutional amendments will commit the cabinet and the council to building a thriving borough. Councillor Anyanwu will steward the multi-million pound capital investment to enhance our parks, improving their accessibility and biodiversity. Councillor Cameron's role will include developing partnerships with business to improve our high streets and supporting Councillor Chowdhury to ensure our town centres thrive in ways which are sustainable and inclusive for all. Councillor Hashi will add to his already expansive role to deliver quality in the private rented sector and tackling ASB, as well as developing borough-wide strategies for the nighttime economy and ensuring the safety of workers who work in that economy. High expectations are the key to success, which is why this constitution sets out a new role for councillors Dyer and Cowell, who are tasked with a relentless focus on improving the resident experience, making us more efficient, inclusive and responsive. And finally, having helped us navigate austerity and the cost of the loan crisis, Councillor Amos' role will now explicitly codify anti-poverty work as a core duty. which reflects the priorities of this group and the founding principles of our movement. And he will be supported by Councillor Kavanagh, who will deliver on our asset management framework. These amendments will extend to the role of the leader, reinforcing this focus on outcomes, inclusivity and delivery, which is integral to her role. Fair, healthy, thriving and safe. These are the missions, the core of these amendments and I'm pleased to commend it to you. Thank you Councillor O'Brien and the other two speakers. We will be voting on this report later in the meeting. And we now move to item 10 on the agenda, which is Members Allowance Scheme. Councilors Ainslie, Curtis and Gallop have indicated they wish to speak on this item. You have up to three minutes each to address the Council. Off you go. Thank you. Thank you. We believe that Councilors should be paid for the work that they do. What the Greens, the residents of Lambeth and auditors are concerned about is value for money. Every year we hear the same thing from Labour, that the Greens don't think that members with additional responsibilities should be remunerated for their time. That is a gross misrepresentation of what we're actually saying. Let me be clear. We don't think members with additional responsibilities are consistently performing those responsibilities satisfactorily to want the fee residents pay for their title. As Labour insists on installing itself in every leadership position in Lambeth's democratic infrastructure, the least it could do is provide a mechanism to reassure residents that they're doing a good job. Perhaps, for example, is the peer review of 24 recommends inviting review from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny. I wonder what they would have to say about the absence of an opposition member for one of the three scrutiny vice roles. Members' special responsibility allowances are not adding value to the way Lambeth's committees are run. Too often chairs skip through challenging opposition or resident contributions, hurrying the meeting along, or not properly recording and answering questions. And some Labour members' vitriolic responses to opposition speakers could even surmount to bullying and filibustering, wearing down the clock to suppress challenge. Often, committee members seem to come unprepared or unclear on the terms of reference of the committee they're on. I've seen people sit there like rabbits in the headlights. When people see this, they know that they're not getting value for money. Because there are so few of us, compared to the proportion of vote share, it's left to opposition councillors to scrutinise decisions. A Green councillor has been present at all but one of the Cabinet meetings for the past year and many other committee meetings as an outside speaker. And this is far more than many Labour councillors receiving SRAs can claim. We read the agendas, we reach out to communities and stakeholders and prepare questions for officers because we know that we need to be in the room when decisions are being made. We know that we cannot trust Labour to be transparent and self-critical. All we want to see is members who are being paid more than us display the same commitment to democracy. No wonder this council is in the appalling state it is in. We know the overall increase to members allowances and SRAs is modest. We know SRAs are to support additional work. What we're asking for is that this investment of residence money be used in their interest to promote fair and democratic function within this council. And until Labour can prove that it does, the Green Party will continue to question the value that SRAs, some members, are paid. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Ainslie. So Councillor Curtis, please. Thank you, Mr Mayor. And this speech, like many of our others, hasn't really changed that much since last year, unsurprisingly. So I'll keep things short so we can all go and enjoy the reception that you're kindly hosting. I'm sure your guests are waiting for you. As my co-councillor, Councillor Bryant, remarked last year, councillors in this chamber work hard and should be fairly compensated for the work that they do. And equally, nobody should face financial challenges while discharging the duties and responsibilities as an elected official. We're in agreement that pay for councillors needs to increase as is proposed by the 2.5% in line with the settlement. However, as we have said consistently, it does seem particularly confusing that more than 55% of councillors in this chamber are paid a responsibility allowance, some of which we think are justified and some of which we do disagree with. We don't believe that the Deputy Chief Whip position should be paid more than £5,500 a year, even more considering the new national insurance rates, nor should there be an uplift for policy leads each at £2,769. We fairly consistently called for these posts and their pay to be abolished for the benefits of the budget. That's what we're abstaining on this item tonight on the basis that we, whilst we believe that pay needs to reflect the work done, which is fairly set by the pay settlement, we're unhappy with the scope and scale of the SRAs that have been put forward this evening. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Curtis. Councillor Gallop. Thank you, Mr Mayor. And thank you for that glowing endorsement, Councillor Ainslie. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak about the importance of the members allowance today, not only in terms of my personal situation, but also to the borough and health of our politics and democracy here in Lambeth. Firstly, someone's financial situation should not be a barrier to opportunity. It has been a very personal struggle for me to even be able to be here to represent you and a lot of sacrifice. It is clear to see that our Labour group is made up of councillors from a range of backgrounds, reflecting the true diversity of our borough. We should be able to fully represent the people who elect us. That is the essence of representation. Councillors work hard for our residents, whether that's through casework, evening meetings, committees, local campaigns. We all try and represent our residents to the best of our ability. As a disabled lone parent, I have raised my son in my council flat and the members allowance has helped me to pay for the extra day to day living costs in my role. I've met other people who share my experience through my role as a local councillor. And because of that, I've been able to support them in a way that is rooted in my lived experience. I would never want to pay the pay to put someone off public service. Good work should be paid fairly and politics should not just be about who can afford it. We on this side of the chamber know that. Locally, Lambeth Council has worked hard to increase the uptake of the London living wage for residents across the borough, which has now increased to £13.85 an hour. This creates a better deal for workers addressing in-work poverty and low pay to create a fairer and more equal system at work. Our borough plan, Lambeth 2030, states that we should support all of our residents to thrive in a place of opportunity and build a strong borough that delivers for everyone. A borough of equality and justice. And we as councillors must also represent this. It is no coincidence that we have the most diverse group of labour councillors ever in Lambeth's history. On our side of the chamber, we have people who rent and house share, people with mortgages and people with caring responsibilities. And they are all key to our work representing our diverse borough. Where you're from shouldn't determine where you end up. Our members allowance scheme for 2526 reflects this and allows us to have elected representatives who represent the diverse communities in our diverse borough. Thank you, Councillor Gallup and the other two speakers. We will be voting on this report later in the meeting. In fact, very soon because we've now come to voting. We will begin with voting on the reports listed on the agenda. If there is no dissent, the recommendations will be carried. If there is dissent, we will move to a vote. You have three choices, voting for, voting against or abstain from voting. Tonight we will be voting by a show of hands. So the first report for voting on is the review of allocation of seats to political groups. Are the recommendations in the report agreed? No, there is dissent. So we now go to a vote. So we will move to a vote by a show of hands. Please raise your hand if you are voting for. Please raise your hand if you're up down. Please raise your hand if you're voting against. Please raise your hand if you wish to abstain. Thank you. The recommendations in this report are agreed. So the second report for voting on is the Constitution 2025-2026. Are the recommendations in the report agreed? There is dissent. There is dissent, so we will move to a vote by a show of hands. Please raise your hand if you are voting for. Please raise your hand if you're voting against. Please raise your hand if you wish to abstain. Thank you. The recommendations in the report are agreed. The final report for voting on is the Members Allowances Scheme 2025-2026. Are the recommendations in the report agreed? We will move to a vote by a show of hands. Please raise your hand if you are voting for. Please raise your hand if you are voting against. Please raise your hand if you wish to abstain. Thank you. The recommendations in the report are agreed. Thank you. That concludes the voting and all business this evening. Thank you to everyone attending this evening. and please join me and my guests at my reception in the Parlour. Our next meeting takes place on the 16th July 2025. Good night. Opposed.