Last night Milton Keynes Council’s annual meeting elected the Leader and Cabinet who will lead the authority for the next year at least. Labour group leader Councillor, Pete Marland, continues as leader of the council and 7 Labour Councillors form his Cabinet.

The elections on 5 May 2016 decided which 20 local people would join those elected in prior years to become the 57 Councillors that will govern Milton Keynes Council for the next two years.  The 57 Councillors, who divide into Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative party groups, take various responsibilities each year to ensure that the council performs all of its legal, civic and other functions, to decide policy and to oversee the work of the social workers, highways engineers, housing officers, librarians, etc. that the council employs.

Milton Keynes council has a Leader and Cabinet who carry out the executive functions of the Council and bring the biggest decisions, such as setting the full budget, to the full council of 57 members for agreement. Councillor Pete Marland (Wolverton ward) was already elected as Council Leader last year and as the Council remains a Labour minority administration he continues in that position. The full council has to agree which Councillors form the cabinet and that is what happened last night along with the other business of the annual meeting. 

Councillor Hannah O’Neill, Deputy Leader of the Labour Group (Woughton & Fishermead ward) continues as Deputy Leader of the Council with responsibility for “Housing and Regeneration” which includes the housing revenue account, homelessness, landlord services, community safety and equalities.

The other members of the Cabinet are:

Councillor Rob Middleton (Wolverton ward) with responsibility for “Resources and Innovation”.  This includes the finances and budget for the council, Council tax and benefits, performance, commercialism, procurement and internal functions such as Human Resources and property, the MK Development Partnership and Local Government Shared Services.

Councillor Liz Gifford (Stony Stratford ward) with responsibility for “Place” which includes strategic planning, economic development, business growth, transport, culture, skills, voluntary and community groups, parish partnerships, Libraries and events.

Councillor Martin Gowans (Bletchley East ward) with responsibility for “Public Realm” which includes waste and recycling, highway maintenance, street lighting, cleansing and signage, landscaping and energy.

Councillor Mick Legg (Bletchley West ward) with responsibility for “Customer Services” which includes Development Control services, licensing policy, regulatory services, bereavement services, environmental health and customer service improvement.

Councillor Nigel Long (Bletchley West ward) with responsibility for “Health, Wellbeing and Adults” which includes Adult social care, preventative services, health partnerships, public health, safeguarding adults and improving mental health services

Councillor Zoe Nolan (Loughton and Shenley ward) with responsibility for “Children and Families” which includes safeguarding, children’s social care, corporate parenting, fostering and adoption, schools and partnerships, youth services and Children’s Centres.

Councillors were also elected last night onto the various committees, panels and commissions that are needed for the Council to function, including the non-political functions concerned with planning and licensing and the council’s representatives on the fire authority.  Full details of the council structures, the Councillors and their responsibilities are on the MK Council website: www.milton-keynes.gov.uk