The Southwark Green Party and Southwark Liberal Democrats have formed a joint administration to run Southwark Council, following the May 7 local elections that resulted in no overall control. The new leadership was confirmed during the annual council meeting on May 28, with Cllr James McAsh, leader of the Southwark Green Party, elected as the new council leader.
Cllr Victor Chamberlain, leader of the Southwark Liberal Democrats, will serve as deputy leader and also as Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Strategic Planning and Wellbeing. Outgoing council leader Cllr Sarah King lost the leadership contest to her former Labour colleague McAsh, securing only 28 votes against his 31.
Cllr McAsh defected from Labour to the Greens earlier this year in February. He was briefly elected as leader of Southwark Labour and the council last summer, but the result was overturned by the national Labour Party after local MP Neil Coyle raised concerns about proxy voting. A re-run saw Cllr King elected as leader in July 2025.
Addressing the council chamber, McAsh said: "Following that vote, I believe I am the first person in Southwark history to have been within the space of 12 months elected leader of this council by all three political parties." He acknowledged challenges including an £85 million funding gap from the Labour government, a failing housing department, and the climate crisis, promising to govern with integrity and accountability.
Cllr Chamberlain added: "We're thrilled to be working together to put Southwark’s residents first and bring change for the people of our borough. We will work in partnership to fix housing, make our streets cleaner and safer, and to ensure the council listens and delivers for local people."
The new administration has set out key aims including making the borough affordable, tackling the housing crisis, improving safety, and delivering cleaner streets. Executive member positions have been allocated to councillors from both parties:
- Executive Member for Council Homes – Cllr Reginald Popoola
- Executive Member for Community Safety and Engagement – Cllr David Watson
- Executive Member for Finance and General Purposes – Cllr Sam Foster
- Executive Member for Jobs, Equalities and Citizenship – Cllr Rachel Bentley
- Executive Member for Public Works and New Homes – Cllr Alexandra Austin
- Executive Member for Climate and Council Coordination – Cllr Eloise Waldon-Day
- Executive Member for Parks and Leisure – Cllr Vanessa Threadgold
- Executive Member for Education and Care – Cllr Rebecca Corn
- Deputy Executive Member for Tenant and Leaseholder Services – Cllr George Grime
- Deputy Executive Member for Culture – Cllr Janice White
- Deputy Executive Member for Adult Services – Cllr Suzanne Wise
- Deputy Executive Member for Community Council Delivery – Cllr Francesco Guerrieri
- Deputy Executive Member for Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector – Cllr Lina Usma
The council went to no overall control after the May 7 local elections, ending 16 years of Labour rule. Labour won 29 seats, three short of a majority, while the Greens won 22 and the Liberal Democrats 12, giving the coalition 34 of the 63 seats. Labour now forms the opposition.
Reacting to the new administration, Cllr King said: "More residents voted for Labour than any other party. They did not vote for the two smallest parties to subvert democracy in this way. Southwark Council is facing challenging times with a tough financial outlook and a housing department that is just beginning to turn the tide on repairs and safety following Labour’s Good Landlord Plan." She added: "We’ve seen the Lib Dems in coalition nationally and we know what it means for our communities: broken promises and budget cuts. Meanwhile the Green Party’s unrealistic manifesto proposals will create real instability in the borough."
During the meeting, Cllr Claire Sheppard from the Greens was also elected as the Mayor of Southwark for 2026/27.
