Cardiff Council leader reveals new cabinet line-up

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

Three former cabinet members will be returning to the back benches at Cardiff Council as the leader elect’s cabinet proposals are revealed.

Cardiff Council leader Huw Thomas has chosen his team for the local authority’s cabinet, which is subject to approval at the council’s annual general meeting on May 26.

Three former cabinet members – Michael Michael (former Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Recycling and Environment), Graham Hinchey (former Cabinet Member for Children’s Services) and Susan Elsmore (former Cabinet Member for Adult Services) have not been included in Cllr Thomas’ list.

As part of the new cabinet, three portfolios will be job shared, including social services, transport and strategic planning, and tackling poverty, equality and public health.

There will also be one new cabinet role for climate change.

The following councillors have been selected for appointment, subject to approval of council, in the following roles:

Leader: Councillor Huw Thomas

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education: Councillor Sarah Merry.

Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation & Performance: Councillor Chris Weaver

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities: Councillor Lynda Thorne

Cabinet Member for Climate Change: Councillor Caro Wild

Cabinet Member for Investment & Development: Councillor Russell Goodway

Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events: Councillor Jennifer Burke-Davies

Grateful

Cllr Thomas, said: “I am grateful to everyone who put their names forward and would especially like to put on record my thanks to Cllrs Michael Michael, Graham Hinchey and Susan Elsmore who are returning to the back-benches after a distinguished period of service in the cabinet over many years.

“I have no doubt they will continue to make an important contribution to the city.

“I have made use of new legislative powers recently passed by Welsh Government to divide some cabinet roles into job shares thus enabling me to bring additional new faces into the cabinet, allowing the maximum possible number of members to gain cabinet experience.

“We will keep this arrangement under review, and as I said it will be my intention to make further changes over the course of the administration, in particular to seek to give opportunities for newly-elected councillors to serve.

“The people joining the cabinet today represent a step-change in the cabinet’s diversity across a number of protected characteristics, as well as being generally balanced across the geographic make-up of the group.

“Crucially, each member is there on their own merit and, I believe is the most capable team, at this point in time, to deliver our Stronger, Greener and Fairer manifesto.”

The three job shared cabinet portfolios are as follows:

Social services

Cabinet Member for Children’s Services: Councillor Ashley Lister

Cabinet Member for Adult Services: Councillor Norma Mackie

Transport and strategic planning

Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning: Councillor Dan De’Ath

Cabinet Member for Transport: Councillor Keith Jones

Tackling poverty, equality and public health

Cabinet Member for Public Health and Equalities: Councillor Julie Sangani

Cabinet Member for Tackling Poverty and Supporting Young People: Councillor Peter Bradbury