Lib Dems to continue to run Portsmouth City Council as leader and cabinet are confirmed

Cllr Steve Pitt remains the leader of the local authority and he has confirmed his new cabinet team. Two changes to the executive were announced, with Cllr Chris Attwell and Cllr Peter Candlish joining and Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson and Cllr Ian Holder no longer part of the cabinet.

Cllr Pitt outlined a handful of changes to portfolio responsibilities at a council meeting on Tuesday, May 14. Cllr Lee Hunt will have the new portfolio of community safety, leisure and sport, while Cllr Attwell will be responsible for central services. Cllr Candlish will take on the transport brief from Cllr Vernon-Jackson, who is now deputy lord mayor. The leader’s portfolio title has changed slightly, with ‘regeneration’ replacing ‘leisure’.

Following this month’s local elections, the Liberal Democrats remained the largest party having increased their number of seats to 19. There are four Conservative councillors, eight Labour, nine Portsmouth Independents Party members, one non-aligned independent councillor, and one independent councillor aligned with Labour. To achieve a majority in the council, a party or coalition must hold at least 22 seats out of the overall 42 available across the city.

FOR MORE READ: City council election results

The council meeting also saw appointments confirmed for committees, panels and outside groups. They were all agreed in principle prior to the meeting by group leaders except for the four spots on the Local Government Association General Assembly. Following a vote in the chamber, Conservative Cllr Spencer Gardner missed out to Labour’s Cllr Tom Coles, Liberal Democrats Cllr Suzy Horton and Cllr Pitt, and Portsmouth Independents Party group leader Cllr George Madgwick.

The new Liberal Democrat cabinet and their respective portfolios are:

• Steve Pitt – leader with portfolio responsibility for culture, regeneration and economic development
• Suzy Horton – deputy leader and cabinet member for children, families and education
• Kimberly Barrett – cabinet member for climate change and greening the city
• Dave Ashmore – cabinet member for environmental services
• Lee Hunt – cabinet member for community safety, leisure and sport
• Matthew Winnington – cabinet member for community wellbeing, health and care
• Darren Sanders – cabinet member for housing and tackling homelessness
• Hugh Mason – cabinet member for planning policy and city development
• Chris Attwell – cabinet member for central services
• Peter Candlish – cabinet member for transport