The Greens have control of Lewisham Council for the first time, after Labour went from 54 councillors to just 14.
The Labour Party have been shut out of power in the borough for the first time in 55 years, with Lewisham’s first directly elected mayor, Liam Shrivastava, also a Green.
At the local elections on 7th May, the Shrivastava’s party won 40 of a possible 54 council seats, giving them an outright majority in the borough.
Likewise, Shrivastava won just over 40% of the mayoral vote, beating Labour’s Amanda de Ryk on 35%.
The new Mayor of Lewisham is a former Labour councillor who defected to the Greens last June, quitting the party after being a member for ten years.
At the time, he said: “[The Labour Party] I joined is unrecognisable from what it has become.”
As a Green, Shrivastava has since vowed to stand up to developers, deliver more affordable housing and improve the borough’s road safety and air quality with more cycle lanes and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs).
He confirmed his cabinet on 20th May, with most members serving as councillors for the first time.
Shrivastava said: “We were elected on a mandate for change and hope for our communities and I am so excited about all of the councillors that have been elected and the Cabinet that we have put together to really drive forward our agenda.”
He added he would work across the chamber, respecting the democratic mandate of every elected councillor to ensure essential services were delivered to Lewisham residents.
The council has already got to work from a policy perspective, carrying out a “comprehensive review” of its assistance with Home Office immigration enforcement raids.
Lewisham Council’s full cabinet is as follows.
Mayor
Liam Shrivastava
As Mayor, Shrivastava is responsible for selecting his cabinet and designating their roles. He will control the strategic vision of Lewisham, responsible for policy and the budget.
He has also pledged to deliver an extension to the Bakerloo Line from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham.
Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Economic Development
Rudi Schmidt
Schmidt deputises for Shrivastava in his absence, chairing the cabinet when necessary and representing the borough.
Responsible for the council’s finances, he is in charge of costing the budget, collecting revenues and ensuring Lewisham’s long-term economic stability.
Cabinet Member for Strategy, Performance and Digital Transformation
Ade Adewunmi
Adewunmi manages the council’s digital and customer services, dealing with complaints and emergency planning.
She is in charge of ensuring equality commitments are met across the borough, overseeing the Birmingham & Lewisham African and Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR).
Cabinet Member for Children, SEND, Youth Empowerment and Culture
Rotimi Skyers
Skyers oversees primary and secondary school performance in Lewisham, managing school admissions, attendance, inclusion and school place planning.
Special Educational Needs (SEND) is also his remit, along with youth services, child protection, and arts and culture.
Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration, Planning and Housing Delivery
Daniel Dream
Responsible for Lewisham’s social housing building programme, Dream is at the centre of housing policy across the borough.
His role covers planning, infrastructure and the night-time economy, while he will also aim to deliver on the council’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable regeneration.
Cabinet Member for Communities, Sanctuary and Healing
Hau-Yu Tam
Tam is in charge of the borough’s sanctuary programme, working to protect the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Lewisham. Her remit also covers bereavement services, violence against women and girls, libraries, community centres and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
She was recently cleared of a conduct complaint after she described David Lammy and Priti Patel as “coconuts” on the social media platform, X.
Cabinet Member for Safer Homes, Homelessness and Housing Services
Natalie Thomas
Thomas works alongside Councillor Dream on Lewisham’s housing policy, with a specific focus on housing repairs, homelessness, temporary accommodation and private sector regulation.
Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care
Samantha Gardiner
Responsible for adult social care, including care homes and at-home provisions, Gardiner has taken charge of Lewisham’s wellbeing.
Her role covers primary care and mental health, as well as integration between health and social care services across the borough.
Cabinet Member for Environment, Nature, Transport and Climate Action
Corin Ashwell
Ashwell oversees Lewisham’s approach to climate change, managing air quality, transport, parking and recycling across the borough.
Cabinet Member for Workers, Business and Skills
Shireen Asaw
As cabinet member for workers, business and skills, Asaw will seek to boost employment in Lewisham, whilst also running the borough’s adult education services, such as Adult Learning Lewisham.
She is responsible for business support, high streets, worker’s rights and trading standards.
