Sheffield’s Green Councillors have welcomed news of a Government concession on plans to force Councils to go back to the “Strong Leader” way of running the council.
Sheffielders rejected the Strong Leader and Cabinet model in a 2021 referendum – brought about by It’s Our City
Councillor Marieanne Elliot, deputy leader of Sheffield Green group of Councillors, said,
“This news is good for Sheffield, good for the Council and good for democracy in Sheffield.”
Government plans for “devolution” included taking powers away from communities and councils to decide their system of governance. People in Sheffield had exercised this power in the wake of the street trees scandal. 26,000 residents of Sheffield signed a petition to force a referendum in May 2021. The referendum ordered the council to replace the failed Leader and Cabinet system with the more transparent and accountable Committee system, where all 84 elected Councillors contribute to decision making. The vote was 2:1 in favour of change.
Under the draft English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, communities were to be stripped of these rights and councils were to be told to convert back to the undemocratic Leader and Cabinet system.
Now, new Government proposals will allow some councils with Committee systems, including Sheffield, to justify their existence.
Cllr Marieanne Elliot continued,
“Sheffielders voted two to one to change the system of governance to the Committee system. The Government plans for all councils to have a Leader and Cabinet shows a complete distrust in democracy.
“In Sheffield, we know how damaging it would be to force us back to the old system. The Council has worked so much better since the Committee system came in.
“Siân Berry MP (Green MP for Brighton Pavilion), spoke powerfully about Sheffield in Parliament’s Bill Committee refering to the evidence provided by the Sheffield Green Group. In response to Siân’s arguments, the minister said she would “reflect hard” on what she had said.
“All 3 party groups on Sheffield City Council have made representations to the Minister. This includes a clear statement in support of the Committee system by the leader of the council. Representations were also made by Abtisam Mohamed MP and Olivia Blake MP – both were Sheffield Councillors under the old Cabinet system.
“I am pleased to see the Government has now proposed amendments to the Bill that will allow Sheffield to continue working in the more progressive, democratic way that it has established.
“However, I believe the Government should allow other populations to learn from Sheffield’s example in the future. Sadly, they still intend to entirely remove those rights from other communities and councils. There is still no reference to improving democracy or any real devolution.”1
The Third Reading of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is due to be heard from Monday 24th November 2025.
