Newington's Bryony Brightman reports on political change in Lambeth
Lambeth Council has seen significant change at the top as long-serving Leader of the Council Cllr Lib Peck has announced she is stepping down. After seven years as leader, and seventeen years as a Councillor, she has taken a new role working for Sadiq Khan at City Hall running London’s Violence Reduction Unit. This is the first building block on a “Public Health Model” which will see youth crime treated using early intervention and mental health methods. This change in leadership, and potential Cabinet reshuffle, could see significant changes for the Borough.
Cllr Jack Hopkins has been chosen to lead the Labour Group and therefore be be the next Leader of Lambeth Council after the resignation of Cllr Peck. He will formally be elected as Leader of the Council later this month. Cllr Hopkins defeated three colleagues, Cllr Claire Holland, Cllr Jennifer Brathwaite and Cllr Matt Bennett, in the Labour Group election. In his election statement, Cllr Hopkins spoke of building a “truly united borough” by working with the voluntary and community sector, local business and Lambeth’s residents.
Up to now, Cllr Hopkins has held the position of Deputy Leader of the Council, as well as the Cabinet responsibility for Jobs, Skills and Performance, and has been Councillor for Oval Ward since 2010. He joined the Cabinet in 2012, covering various portfolios, including having responsibility for Lambeth’s dealings with the controversial Garden Bridge, which at the time was supported by the council leadership. As Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Business and Culture, Cllr Hopkins portfolio included Pop Brixton and the Network Rail Brixton arches regeneration.
Cllr Hopkins has shown a keen interest in planning and development, leaving Cabinet in 2017 to set up a consultancy called Good Planners which gave homeowners wanting to extend their properties advice on dealing with council planning departments. Whilst he has applied to have the company dissolved and struck off the Companies House register in order to take up the Council Leadership, it is clear Cllr Hopkins understands the planning process and will take a keen interest in planning applications and proposals. Cllr Hopkins wife, Cllr Joanne Simpson, is also a Labour Councillor for Lambeth and is the Vice Chair of the Planning Applications Committee.
As Cllr Hopkins is currently a Cabinet Member, his election as Leader of the Council will mean there will have to be changes in the Cabinet. However, whether he decides to keep the composition of the Cabinet largely the same or to implement a full reshuffle remains to be seen.
Cllr Peck’s resignation means that there will be a by-election in the coming months for her council seat. There is already however a by-election on Thursday 7th Feb in her ward, Thornton, following the resignation before Christmas of Cllr Jane Edbrooke, who stood down to take a politically restricted job. Given that it is a Labour safe seat and was won comfortably by the three Labour councillors in last year’s elections, these by-elections are not expected to cause a change in the composition of Lambeth Council.
