New Leader and Cabinet elected at Council AGM

Published: 24 May 2023

Derby City Council’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place today, Wednesday 24 May.

The meeting was the first of the Council since the local elections on Thursday 4 May, which saw all 51 seats up for election for the first time since 2002. The elections were also the first since the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s review of the Council’s area between 2021 and 2022, which saw new boundaries introduced in several wards.

A full breakdown of the results can be found on our website.

26 seats are required to form a majority, which has not been achieved by any party. However Labour revealed today that they intend to form minority administration with the 23 seats they gained at the elections.

During the meeting, Cllr Baggy Shanker was elected as Leader of Derby City Council, before naming Cllr Nadine Peatfield as Deputy Leader.

The new Cabinet was also announced, alongside a number of new portfolios, that each will work to oversee:

The Cabinet and portfolio areas are:

• Cllr Baggy Shanker – Strategy, Governance and Finance
• Cllr Nadine Peatfield – City Centre, Regeneration, Culture and Tourism
• Cllr Carmel Swan – Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability
• Cllr Paul Hezelgrave – Cost of Living, Equalities and Customer Inclusion
• Cllr Alison Martin – Integrated Adult Care and Health
• Cllr John Whitby – Children’s Social Care, Learning and Skills
• Cllr Shiraz Khan – Housing, Property and Regulatory Services
• Cllr Hardyal Dhindsa – Communities and Streetpride

Cllr Baggy Shanker, Leader of Derby City Council, said:

I'm pleased to be able to announce our eight-strong Cabinet today, and to see a Labour administration in Derby once again.

We've spent time as a group since the election preparing for today, and I am going into the next four years with full confidence that my Cabinet and I will have the best interests of Derby at the core of every decision we take. That said, the hard work starts now.

Derby is my home. I was born in Arboretum and raised in Normanton, where my parents instilled in me the importance of helping others and equal opportunities.

We are the Council for Derby. I believe people should be listened to and have the chance to share their views, so it’s key that we begin improving communication between the Council and the public to deliver a Derby that we can all be proud of.

Derby is a fantastic city, but it does have its challenges. The current Medium Term Financial Plan will be a key area of focus, and we need to review it to fully understand the challenges we face and prioritise how we can deliver on our manifesto.

We have a duty to serve the people of Derby and we will work hard to deliver on our commitments to them.

During the morning session of the AGM, the annual Mayor Making ceremony took place,

The Mayor Making ceremony takes place every year, with the incumbent Mayor taking nominations from elected members for their successor.

The Office of the Mayor of Derby has existed since 1638. Although the powers and duties of the Mayor have changed significantly since then, the role is rooted in Derby’s proud heritage. The Mayor Making ceremony honours the rich tradition and countless individuals who have held the position over its long history, whilst the newly elected Mayor pledges to uphold the values and traditions associated with the position.

Cllr Alan Graves was elected with 24 votes and will be Derby’s Mayor for 2023/24. Cllr Ged Potter was also elected as Deputy Mayor.

Derby’s Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor were also officially sworn into their roles. Muhammad Muntasir (Noel Baker Academy) and Harman Kaur (City of Derby Academy) were elected in February, with 10,845 votes being cast by 18 secondary schools and colleges in the city.

Details of the Cabinet and the Mayor will be shortly updated on the Council and Democracy pages of the Derby City Council Website.

Democracy