Green and Liberal Democrats councillors in Lambeth have struck a surprise political deal that looks set to end Labour control of the borough and see the re-introduction of running the local authority through councillor committees, which the parties say would lead to more scrutiny and better decision-making.
The deal appears to have brought to an end two weeks of intense behind-the-scenes discussions about who should run the council, after no party secured a majority at the elections of 7 May. The Greens formed the largest party group with 29 councillors, Labour finished second with 26 and the Lib Dems won eight seats.
The Greens have since lost two of their councillors, meaning by-elections must be held to replace them, but their combined total with the Lib Dems still outnumbers Labour’s and would continue to even if Labour won both by-elections, which won’t be held until after the decision about the new arrangements has been taken at a special Extraordinary Meeting of the council on 1 June.
The council’s Annual Meeting is currently due to take place before that, on 27 May, and scheduled to elect the next council leader, though it is understood that this might change with the meeting being adjourned and agenda business conducted on 1 June instead.
As part of the Green-Lib Dem agreement, there will be a Green leader and deputy leader of the council after two decades of Labour control. The Greens and Lib Dems have also agreed to rotate the mayoralty position – which carries a potential casting vote – between them over the next four years.
The current leader and cabinet set-up concentrates more power at the top of local councils and is designed to produce faster decision making. The Labour government recently passed a law – English Devolution and Communities Act 2026 – preventing councils from reverting to the committee system, but the Greens and Lib Dems have taken legal advice and say they can make the change before the Act comes into force on 29 June. The legislation was pushed through by housing, communities and local government secretary Steve Reed, a former Labour leader of Lambeth.
The Lib Dems had been talking to both the Greens and Labour about the possibility of going into coalition under the existing system, but found instead a basis to move forward with the Greens around their shared desire to bring the committee system back. The membership and chairing of committees would be shared out on a proportionate basis, leading to what the two parties say is more effective form of governance that gives more sway to opposition councillors.
As well as running the council, Labour’s dominance meant its own members also chaired the important overview and scrutiny committee, meaning Labour council policies were interrogated by Labour councillors. The Greens and Lib Dems have agreed that from now on this work should be led by an opposition councillor. As part of the deal, the Lib Dems demanded an assurance that the Greens would set a legal, balanced budget.
The Green-Lib Dem deal looks set to bring to an end Claire Holland’s five years as Labour leader of the borough, as well as her role as chair of London Councils, which represents the capital’s 33 local authorities.
Apart from Richmond, which adopted it in 2019, Lambeth would be the only London council run through the committee system – a standout surprising outcome in what was already a multi-faceted set of election results
Green group leader Martin Abrams said moving to a committee system was in his party’s manifesto and could now be voted on: “A committee system has the potential to open up decision making, give all councillors a meaningful role, and restore proper accountability to residents across Lambeth. Done properly, it can be a more democratic and transparent way to run the council.”
He added: “We hope we can work constructively with the other parties over the coming days to make sure this new structure is designed in a way that genuinely works for Lambeth residents and allows us collectively to deliver on the commitments made to people across the borough. The detail of how this system is implemented will matter enormously, and we’ll be engaging carefully with that process.”
Lib Dem group leader Matthew Bryant said there was a unique opportunity to change the council for the better: “People voted for change on 7 May, but as in many parts of the country no single party has an overall majority in Lambeth. The committee system is the best way to navigate this multi-party reality. Our proposals will give councillors a real say over decisions affecting their ward. We are determined that local people have a greater voice and that councillors are involved in council decisions that impact their wards.”
This article was corrected on 25 May 2026 to recognise that Richmond Council uses the committee system of decision-making.
Tim Donovan is the former political editor of BBC London and now a trustee of Centre for London. Follow him at LinkedIn.
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