New Leader of Kirklees Council reveals her new cabinet - here's who has each of the key portfolio roles
Kirklees Council’s new, full cabinet has been unveiled, as the local authority moves forward under Labour’s direction.
An eventful full council meeting earlier this month saw former Leader of the Council, Coun Cathy Scott (Kirklees Community Alliance, Dewsbury East) ousted by a vote of no confidence and Coun Carole Pattison (Labour, Greenhead) elected as her successor.
Formerly Leader of the Labour group, Coun Scott sensationally announced her departure from the party at the council’s annual meeting in May, and said she would be continuing as an Independent leader of the council.
However, this was short-lived as the Labour group brought forward a vote of no confidence which was upheld.
This claimed that Coun Scott and her recently-established cabinet of independent members had “no legitimate mandate” to run the council – a statement that Coun Scott disputed.
Soon after her election, the new Council Leader, Coun Pattison, announced her cabinet but didn’t confirm all of their portfolios.
Now this has been set out, the seven new cabinet members, along with their portfolios, are as follows:
Adult Social Care and Health: Coun Beverley Addy.
Environment and Highways: Coun Munir Ahmed.
Deputy Leader, Transport and Highways: Coun Moses Crook.
Corporate: Coun Tyler Hawkins.
Children’s Services: Coun Viv Kendrick.
Education and Communities: Coun Amanda Pinnock.
Finance and Regeneration: Coun Graham Turner.
Speaking after her appointment as Leader, Coun Pattison told the meeting: “Thank you to you all, whether you voted for me or not, for being here today, for contributing and taking part in this democratic process which sees us elected by our communities, supported by our party’s values and belief in public service and for supporting me to become Leader of the Council.
“As a member of the Labour Party, and having been democratically chosen by the Labour Group of Kirklees, I pledge, alongside our Labour MPs, our Labour Mayor and the national government to do all within our power to provide that service, to bring about the change in politics and the provision of services that our communities want to see.”