Lewisham Council have adopted the directly elected mayoral model of governance. Most of the media gaze falls upon the Mayor and the Executive. Equally important but less publicised are those with the immense responsibility for formally scrutinising the work of the council. There have been many constitutional changes over the years. However, the basic structure …
Tag Archives: Scrutiny
Lewisham Council – the new political line up
Lewisham Council has held its Annual General Meeting on 20th May 2026 following the local elections. The purpose of the meeting is to elect a Speaker to chair the meeting and elect Councillors to serve on the Executive, elect members to the council wide committees, appoint people to serve on outside bodies and establish the …
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Holding Directly Elected Mayor’s to Account
As the English Devolution and Empowerment Bill makes its passage through Parliament soon to become law, the issue of holding directly elected Mayor’s to account is topical. The mayoral model in local government was piloted in Lewisham and the London borough made preparatory plans as early as 1998. The policy was seen as a beacon …
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Public Transport Liaison in Lewisham – All Change Please….
Lewisham Council has agreed to retain the Public Transport Liaison Committee or Forum. This has resulted in greater scrutiny and pressure on bus and train operators to address key issues such as poor services, working conditions and lack of investment. The AGM of the Council was held on the 7th May 2025 and this meeting …
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People’s Audit Opens in Lewisham
Like all local authorities, the London Borough of Lewisham accounts must be audited. Parliament has decided that there should be an opportunity for any one interested to inspect and make copies of the accounts and all relevant documents. This is enshrined in law, in Section 25 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. Lewisham …
Lewisham Council changes Constitution – Planning Matters
The way Lewisham Council deals with planning applications has been changed. The number of objections required to trigger a public committee meeting has been increased from three to ten and the number of planning committees and their membership reduced. Changes were made to Lewisham Council’s Constitution in relation to Planning Committees at the AGM of …
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Serious Cock Up By Health Secretary
Lewisham residents will know that the Secretary of State for Health can act unlawfully. We remember the Lewisham Hospital closure attempt when Jeremy Hunt’s hospital cuts were ruled illegal. Now we have a serious, costly cock up by the current incumbent. The Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock acted unlawfully said Mr Justice Chamberlain …
‘Moral Duty To Protect The NHS’
Cllr Alan Hall has written directly to the Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board, Liz Truss calling for the Government to protect the NHS in any trade deal and prohibit secret trade deals. This is after the House of Lords amended the Trade Bill with a new clause dubbed the …
Council ‘Scrutiny has come of age’ or has it?
Paul Wheeler is the founder of the Political Skills Forum and a journalist for the Municipal Journal amongst other publications. The Political Skills Forum gave expert advice on good governance. In an article he wrote for the Municipal Journal the headline states that ‘Scrutiny has come of age’ and cites Cllr Alan Hall’s work on Lewisham …
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