A Green Party motion to Sheffield City Council on 9th July calling on the Government to abandon their plans to abolish the Committee System has been passed with all party support.
In June, Jim McMahon MP, the Labour Local Government Minister announced that the Government was planning to end the Committee system governance model, which involves all Councillors in decision making leaving only the less democratic Cabinet system where only a few Councillors have a vote on most Council decisions.
The Lowcock Report into the Street Tree Scandal highlighted the deficiencies of the Cabinet system saying
“While a Strong Leader cabinet model with fewer checks and balances arguably gives authority to get things done, it can also, as in this case, enable the wrong things to be done without serious challenge”
Green Party Councillors submitted a motion in response reaffirming the Council’s support for the Committee System
Councillor Paul Turpin who proposed the motion said,
“The move to a Committee system was not a Council decision alone. It was the result of a successful campaign and referendum by local people, where, in 2021, 65% of voters called for an end to the Cabinet system and for the introduction of a much more democratic Committee System.
“Sheffield was nominated as ‘Most Improved Council’ at the Local Government Chronicle Awards this year. That would not have happened if the council had poor governance or was failing. It is the Committee System and the improved culture of the Council. Councillors from across political divides work together in a less tribal way and that has played a large part in making the Council more effective.
“It benefits nobody in Sheffield to return to this autocratic top down Cabinet model of decision making. We have asked for the support of all Sheffield’s MPs and the Local Government Association to get the Government to abandon this proposal.”
Resolution passed- Protect Local Democracy in Sheffield
RESOLVED: That this Council:-
notes:-
(a) in a Ministerial Statement, on 24th June 2025, Jim McMahon MP, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, said:
“The Government plans to legislate to abolish the committee system, requiring those councils currently operating this model to transition to the leader and cabinet model.”;
(b) this statement overturns the wishes of Sheffield people who voted 65% to 35% in 2021 to change from a Leader and Cabinet System where a small handful of Councillors took all the decisions, to one where all Councillors play a part in the decision-making process;
(c) Sir Mark Lowcock’s Report into the Street Tree scandal said:
“While a Strong Leader cabinet model with fewer checks and balances arguably gives authority to get things done, it can also, as in this case, enable the wrong things to be done without serious challenge”;
(d) Sheffield was nominated for Most Improved Council at the 2025 Local Government Chronicle Awards;
believes:-
(e) that the driving impetus behind the introduction of the committee system in Sheffield was the way in which the street trees dispute was handled by the then cabinet in its determination to press ahead with a bad policy, failing to listen and engage with the people of Sheffield and backbench councillors;
(f) that in voting for a committee system the people of Sheffield recognised the widespread wrongful destruction of highway trees as not just another policy failure by a Labour council but also as something exacerbated and prolonged by the weakness of the leader and cabinet system that served in this instance to disconnect a handful of decision makers from the rest of the city.
(g) people expect all Councillors to take part in making decisions that affect the city, and it is clearly wrong that a system that has been working well in Sheffield should be abolished without any form of consultation;
(h) that dialogue is now needed with the Government on this issue;
(i) that a number of factors have contributed to improving transparency and
accountability at Sheffield City Council, including:-
(i) the process of implementing the committee system and the agreement of core design principles, including the involvement of all councillors in decision-making and focussing on areas of agreement, not antagonism;
(ii) a cross party commitment to improving the Council culture, reflected in the Council values, especially that “Openness and honesty are important to us”; and
(iii) the cross party agreement of the Council Plan, that sets out the Council’s mission and strategic outcomes, and allows citizens and partners more opportunity to hold the organisation to account;
(j) that enhancing local democracy and governance is an evolving process that requires a culture of continuous improvement and ongoing engagement and involvement of citizens and partners;
(k) the benefits of the Committee System demonstrated in Sheffield include:-
(i) greater collaboration across political groups in policy formulation and in
decision making;
(ii) overcoming party political tribalism and focussing on areas of agreement,
not antagonism;
(iii) improving the culture of the Council, with officers and Councillors focusing
on what is best for the city;
(iv) all Councillors being involved in the decision-making of the Council, and
greater accountability to the electorate; and
(v) improved outcomes for the residents of Sheffield;
(l) it benefits nobody in Sheffield to return to the autocratic, top-down decision-making Cabinet system;
(m) Sheffield benefits from fairer, more representative governance arrangements, and that people expect the Councillors they elect to have a vote on the decisions that affect them;
resolves to:-
(n) reaffirm its support for the Committee System;
(o) congratulate all staff, Members and residents of the city who helped secure the nomination as Most Improved Council;
(p) write to Sheffield’s MPs to ask that they lobby the Government to abandon proposals to abolish the democratic Committee System;
(q) seek support from the Local Government Association;
