Lib Dems hail democratic reforms in Lambeth: group statement

Following Brixton Buzz’s coverage of Monday night’s combined Extraordinary and Annual Council Meeting at Lambeth Town Hall, the Liberal Democrat group has issued the following statement:

After a prolonged and delayed Annual Meeting of Lambeth Council on 1 June 2026, the Liberal Democrats have achieved significant changes to the way the Council operates.

Following weeks of negotiations, Liberal Democrat proposals to improve scrutiny, reduce councillors’ allowances and give councillors a greater say over issues impacting their ward were introduced through a series of motions and amendments.

Majorities were eventually secured for governance reforms, strengthened opposition on scrutiny committees, and reductions in the add-on allowances paid to some Councillors, matters on which the Lib Dems have campaigned for years.

The original meeting at the Town Hall on Monday evening, an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council, was called by the Green Party to introduce the “committee system” to Lambeth. This was a Green Party manifesto commitment. However, the Greens withdrew their motion, leading the Lib Dems to criticize them for a U-turn.

Last week’s abandoned Annual Meeting of the Council then re-started, only to be adjourned for 90 minutes. When the meeting resumed, progress was made.

• A motion was passed that paves the way to introduce new Cabinet committees that will shadow the Green Cabinet portfolios. To give them teeth, the Liberal Democrats successfully tabled an amendment ensuring that when Cabinet members ignore committee recommendations, the matter can be referred to Full Council for further debate. The new system will also bring greater levels of involvement to ward Councillors, helping them to represent their residents directly in the decision-making process.

• The Council then agreed that all the Chairs of scrutiny committees should come from opposition parties, something that the Lib Dems have been campaigning on for years.

• Finally, the Council voted to cut the number of Councillors receiving a Special Responsibility Allowance, and to reduce the amounts paid to the Leader and Cabinet members.

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Tam Langley (above centre), said,

“Since May’s local elections we have been in daily negotiations with the other parties.

 

Rather than seeking a coalition, our priority has been to change the Council’s constitution from one of all-powerful Cabinet members to a more democratic system. Lambeth residents are fed up with the ‘town hall knows best’ culture.

 

These changes are designed to force Cabinet members to listen to local residents and to their local ward councillors, rather than steam-roller ahead with their own personal view.

 

Terrible decisions like Labour dimming the streetlights and cancelling the Lambeth Country Show would never have been taken if they had listened to local people in the first place.”

 

– Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Tam Langley

 

Commenting, Cllr Matthew Bryant, the new Leader of the Lambeth Liberal Democrat Group, said:

“We are delighted to have persuaded the other parties to agree to make changes to the way the Council runs. Following the elections on May 7 no one party has overall control in Lambeth.

 

For the past three weeks we have made clear to both the Green and Labour groups that constitutional changes were essential.

 

These changes will lead to better decisions where residents’ voices are truly heard.

 

– Cllr Matthew Bryant, Leader of the Lambeth Liberal Democrat Group

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