The Council meeting on 15 May 2024 saw the election of Councillor Robert Rigby as the new Lord Mayor of Westminster. The council also confirmed the proportional division of seats across its various standing committees, ensuring political balance.

Election of Lord Mayor

Councillor Robert Rigby was elected as the Lord Mayor of Westminster for the ensuing year. He subsequently made and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and took the Chair, thanking the council for his election. His consort, Emiko Murai Rigby, was also introduced.

Vote of Thanks to Past Lord Mayor

A vote of thanks was moved by Councillor Adam Hug and seconded by Councillor Ruth Bush to Councillor Patricia McAllister for her distinguished service as Lord Mayor, and to her Consorts, Ellis McAllister and Kevin Murphy, for their support. The motion was carried, and the council resolved to inscribe its gratitude under the Common Seal.

Constitutional Matters

The council considered and agreed to the recommendations presented in the report on constitutional matters. This included determining the allocation of places on the standing committees and noting the members appointed to them, following notification from the respective Party Whips. The proportional division of seats on the Standing Committees was confirmed, with a total of 81 seats allocated: 48 for the Labour group and 33 for the Conservative group. This allocation was noted as having a variance of one seat in favour of the majority party, which was confirmed as being in accordance with proportionality rules.

The confirmed committee memberships are as follows:

• Audit and Performance Committee: 4 seats (3 Labour, 1 Conservative)
• General Purposes Committee: 4 seats (3 Labour, 1 Conservative)
• Overview and Scrutiny Committee: 7 seats (4 Labour, 3 Conservative)
• Climate Action, Environment and Highways P&S Committee: 7 seats (4 Labour, 3 Conservative)
• Vulnerable Adults, Health and Communities P&S Committee: 7 seats (4 Labour, 3 Conservative)
• Finance, Planning and Economic Development P&S Committee: 7 seats (4 Labour, 3 Conservative)
• Young People, Learning and Employment P&S Committee: 7 seats (4 Labour, 3 Conservative)
• Standards Committee: 5 seats (3 Labour, 2 Conservative)
• Pensions Fund Committee: 4 seats (3 Labour, 1 Conservative)
• Planning & City Development Committee: 14 seats (8 Labour, 6 Conservative)
• Licensing Committee: 15 seats (8 Labour, 7 Conservative)

The report also detailed the membership of various sub-committees, including those for Planning, Policy and Scrutiny, Audit and Performance, General Purposes, Licensing, and Pensions, all of which adhere to the principle of political balance. Advisory panels, such as the Ratings Panel and Discretionary Housing Payments Panel, were also noted, with proportionality rules not applying to these bodies.

Key Decisions - Use of Special Urgency Procedure 2023/24

The report detailing key decisions taken under special urgency procedures during the 2023/24 municipal year was noted by the council. This report highlighted a single instance where special urgency provisions were used for an urgent decision regarding the CCS Energy Purchase Agreement for the 2024-25 supply period. The decision was made by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Council Reform, with approval obtained from the Chair of the Finance, Planning and Economic Development Policy and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Paul Fisher¹.