The Cabinet
The Cabinet is a group of councillors who take most of the decisions about what we do.
Who is in the Cabinet?
The Cabinet is made up of the Leader of the Council and nine other councillors, called Cabinet Members, appointed by the Leader. The Cabinet meets about eight times a year.
Each Cabinet Member looks after an individual area of responsibility. They make decisions on how our policies and services are delivered within those areas.
In sharing decision-making within the Cabinet or by making decisions individually, the Cabinet ensures that decisions are identifiable, open and accountable to the public. It also encourages stronger community leadership in Camden.
Community leadership
Community leadership means communicating our priorities clearly and taking responsibility for making change happen - and it means ensuring all our communities can play an active role in making Camden a better place to live. This is by no means a new thing and we are already involved in countless initiatives to engage people in decision-making, and keep you informed about our plans and priorities.
The Cabinet provides leadership at the top level. It drives forward Our Camden Plan and oversees its delivery. Members of the Cabinet also provide leadership within local partnerships. And of course, members of the Cabinet continue to act as ward representatives in the same way as other councillors.
Non-Cabinet councillors have a community leadership role through representing their local areas and their scrutiny work. They sit on Scrutiny Committees which investigate the performance of particular council services and make recommendations for change. As part of their work, Scrutiny Committees welcome the views of as many people as possible about how the council is run.
What does the Cabinet do?
- Recommends the budget and key policy proposals to full Council for agreement - and decide some policies itself.
- Publishes a monthly Forward Plan listing all the decisions it will take in the next four months. The Forward Plan includes details of who will be consulted and when, so that anyone with an interest can make representations or attend the meeting.
- Takes most of the key decisions within the budget and policy framework agreed by full Council.
- Meets regularly, making it easier to address issues that cut across traditional departmental boundaries.
- Is in regular contact with Chief Officers - so that it maintain oversight of the performance of council services.
- Enables Cabinet Members to develop expert knowledge of their portfolio subject, based on up-to-the-minute information about what is happening in Camden and nationally.
Public decision-making
All Cabinet decisions must be taken in public apart from the exceptions for things like personnel matters, commercially sensitive information or confidential legal advice. Papers relating to Cabinet decisions, and to decisions of individual Cabinet Members, are published on the website about a week before the decision is taken.
Officers are not able to put decisions into practice until the seven-day 'call-in' period has elapsed (except for decisions taken under emergency procedures).
The Cabinet is allowed by law to meet in private, but cannot take decisions in private or discuss in private session a matter on which a decision is to be taken in the next 28 days.
Deputations
Members of the public can ask to speak at a Cabinet meeting on any matter that is on the agenda and is of concern to them. The request for a deputation must be submitted by 5pm, two working days before the meeting.
Further information can be found on our deputation pages.
Cabinet member's profiles
A detailed explanation of each Cabinet Member's profiles set in Part 3 of the Constitution.