Council - Wednesday 21 May 2025, 7:30pm - Wandsworth Council Webcasting

Council
Wednesday, 21st May 2025 at 7:30pm 

Agenda

Slides

Transcript

Map

Resources

Forums

Speakers

Votes

 
Share this agenda point

.
.
.
Please be seated.
Good evening and welcome to the annual meeting of the Council.
Before we start, I would like to call on my faith leader, Mr Taroha Gureshi, MBE, to say a few words.
Thank you very much, Madam Mayor.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem.
I am very happy to be here today.
I am very happy to be here today.
I am very happy to be here today.
Min zakarim wa unsa wajal naqun shubam wa qabai lalita 'a rafu
Shubam wa kabai lalita rafu
Inna kiramakum indallah
Inna kiramakum indallah
Sohi atu kakum, sadaqallah hulaazim.
This is a very short verse from Holy Quran.
God Almighty says, oh people, we have created you
from a single pair of a male and a female.
That is Adam and Eve.
And we have made you into nations and tribes
so that you may know one another.
not that you despise or hate one another.
In the sight of God Almighty,
those who are the most righteous are the most honorable.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm really glad,
please, very humbled to be here as a male faith leader.
I know that this is the final ceremony today.
We wish all of you good luck.
The community's engagement at all level
is imminent need for our British society.
Without any shadow of doubt,
the work what the councillors, the MPs,
the ministers, the government has been doing
or is continue doing to bring the communities together,
that is very much admirable.
Particularly in South London, in Wandsworth,
what we see is there is a great community engagement going on.
I'm the CEO of one of the housing association.
We have nearly 4 ,000 tenants in Lambert, Sadak, and Croydon,
but no tenant in Wandsworth at this stage.
Hopefully that will grow in near future.
And I would extend my final message that God Almighty has created us from Adam and Eve.
No matter what color, what denomination we are, what faith we are,
we are from one parents, one pair, Adam and Eve.
And if we have love and caring and tender approach with one another, society will be really,
really positive and it will give more fruit.
There are many, many resources available
instead of having wars and hate against one another.
If we work together, we can extract all those resources
what are available instead of destroying them.
May God Almighty bless all of us.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Qureshi, for your words.
Now I would call on the leader of the council, Councillor Hogg.
He will say a few words, followed by the leader of the opposition, Councillor Richard Jones.
Thank you, Madam Mayor.
I'm really pleased to say a few words about our outgoing mayor and about the role of the
mayor in civic life.
because from Councillor to Deputy Mayor to Mayor Sarna,
you've been at the heart of our community,
celebrating and supporting and uniting
the people of Wandsworth.
Madam Mayor has been busy.
I know she joined several of the brilliant street parties
held across Wandsworth to mark the 80th anniversary
of VE Day and danced along to Strictly Wandsworth,
the first major event of our year as borough of culture,
welcoming nearly 3 ,000 people to Battersea Park.
The mayor also proudly supported the opening of our new Tooting Family Hub, welcomed His Majesty,
the King during his visit to Battersea Power Station and brought our communities together
by hosting Wandsworth's Interfaith Forum.
And it was in that Interfaith Forum that I really saw the care and the attention
that SANA gives people showing really deep sensitivity in quite difficult conversations
with religious leaders, faith leaders,
at moments of real tension in the world.
And Sana made a really important contribution
that not everyone saw towards harmony,
bringing harmony to our strong, diverse communities,
and showing once again that we can,
and we do live together in tolerance and peace,
sharing the challenges that we all face together.
Because Sana is a great listener,
And she has helped to make this a listening council.
This administration has been focused on delivering for our residents.
Over the past year, we've frozen council tax, we've doubled investment in our roads
and pavements and collected more than 7 ,000 free bulky waste bookings.
We've set up Access for All and we've launched our seven rings, seven days guarantee.
So if you don't know, if you phone up the main number at the council,
a member of staff will pick up the phone in seven rings.
And if you tell us about a dangerous pothole or some graffiti or a broken street sign
We will fix it in seven days because we are at your service and as part of our commitment to being a listening council
We've been organizing more community drop -ins
We've been getting out into the community
But we've also been welcoming more of you than ever before
into the town hall to make sure that everyone can be heard in our decision -making and
And the mayor has been at the heart of this, bringing our town hall to life by hosting groups
of school children and giving them a hands -on introduction to our democracy.
It was lovely to see children from Allfarthing, Honeywell, Furstown, Garrett Park,
and St. Mary's in the town hall.
They take part in fun and educational treasure hunts throughout the building using this booklet.
Well, actually, should we do some questions?
So, are you smarter than a primary school child?
So, what river is the borough named after?
Wandle, correct, Councillor App.
Should we get that one?
What? Oh, no.
You're right.
This is ridiculous.
What's the motto under our crest?
We serve.
Everyone gets points there.
And finally, this is more difficult one.
Which of our mayors has a commemorative stamp?
So, who is on a first class stamp?
John Archer, who in 1913 became the first black mayor in London, a landmark achievement.
And these school children also take part in lively debates here in the town hall.
The opposition here may not agree with it, but I'm pleased to say
that not a single child has thrown a tantrum and stormed
out the chamber before the debate even started.
So that's good news.
We love our local charities.
It's great to see so many here tonight.
I hope we get a chance to have a conversation later.
And throughout her time as mayor,
Sana has raised about 50 ,000 pounds.
Can this be right?
50 ,000 pounds.
For her three fantastic charities.
So Homestar, One's Worth, Racket's Cubed,
and Tooting Community Kitchen.
Now I know she'll tell us more about those later, but I wonder if you can show your appreciation
for those wonderful organisations.
So thanks very much.
So the Mayor has been an incredible friend to our voluntary sector and I know that our
MPs, Fleur and Marsha and Rezeneh are as well.
And just to say we recently opened up a whole wing of the town hall for the voluntary sector
to use.
So if your organization, you know, is looking for space, we'd love for you to come and work here,
cooperate more closely with us and it's free until the end of the year.
So please come and see us if you'd like to work with us in the town hall.
And can I encourage everyone to donate to those mayoral charities
because I think not everyone knows but the council will match funds your donation.
So if you give 10 pounds, we'll give 10 pounds as well and that's up to a maximum
of 50 ,000 pounds a year from our side because we really want to encourage you
to give to those excellent mayoral charities.
Let me also just thank Councillor Finner -Ares,
Deputy Mayor, for her year of service,
from championing local businesses at Business Launchpad
and Tooting Works, to celebrating the achievements
of our school children and visiting cadets
in Battersea and Southfields.
We are as grateful for your dedication to Wandsworth
as we are baffled by your devotion
to Chelsea Football Club.
There's just no helping some people,
but can we all thank Finna?
Thank you very much.
And last year we tried something new.
For the first time ever our young people proudly elected Millie
as Wandsworth's first ever youth mayor and Faver
as our deputy youth mayor and they have done us proud.
Have we got some questions?
From visiting Chantelle's Community Kitchen in Roehampton to Hazelfest Community Festival in Tooting and the big local SW11 in Battersea,
Millie and Faber have taken on the role with confidence and commitment. A huge thanks to both of you for giving our young people a voice.
And I must say it's been fantastic to have four incredible inspirational ones
with women in those top positions showing true pride in our vibrant and diverse community.
And I'd like to add my welcome to our new Youth Mayor Quasi and Deputy Youth Mayor Sophia.
There they are.
I understand Sophia, you had an exam today.
Yeah, I had one this morning.
How did that go?
It was politics, so it seemed that.
Excellent.
Getting your revision in afterwards.
But, I mean, that's real pressure, right?
But also a reminder that the real achievements in Wandsworth this year weren't political
achievements or policy announcements or anything. It's just those small wins
people have every day. So Sophia smashing her politics exam, you know,
Rebecca going under 25 minutes at Parkrun, Syeda waving her son off to university,
John watching his daughter getting a laugh in the school primary play,
Harry perfecting his Italian chopped salad, and Luke getting to watch Crystal
Palace win the FA Cup with his dad.
So we are lucky to have those small moments, though,
because we all know that there's people all around the world who
are not fortunate enough to experience
those simple pleasures that we can here in Wandsworth.
And it also reminds us, politicians,
that we are servants of the people.
We're here to listen to you and to help you live
the life you want for yourself.
Because there are things that you can't do alone,
and you'll need help from your friends,
and the things that you can't get done in the community,
we will support you as the council.
We want a Wandsworth where people look out for each other,
where you have control over your own life,
and where we build strong communities
and a powerful voluntary sector to support you.
And when you need us, Wandsworth will be there
as a truly efficient and effective council.
I'll just finish by saying the Wandsworth Mayor
embodies and reinforces those beliefs.
She brings us together and strengthens our community.
I'd now like to present a certificate
on behalf of the people of Wandsworth
and thank Sona Jaffrey for her service
because I'm just so grateful for the amazing contribution
Sona's made to civic life in her year as mayor.
Thank you so much.
Thank you
Thank You counselor for them lovely words if I could call on councillor Richard Jones
Well, thank you madam there very much and can I start by just
sharing in some of the remarks that the leader made
about you and to thank you and your deputy
for all the service that you've both given
over the last year.
It's not the easiest of roles,
I'm sure all mayors would acknowledge,
but perhaps hardest in the chamber
and perhaps easier outside the chamber,
but I know you've always given your absolute best
to the role.
I know in particular you were commended for
the way you presided over citizenship ceremonies,
your activity in the community,
where you invariably always brought the sun
whenever you turned up.
The annual council meeting is a chance to look back
on the earth it's been, to look forward to the year ahead,
and to reflect for a moment away from the swing
of political life.
But I thought this annual meeting could be a chance
to look back a little bit further than that,
because we actually celebrate a very important birthday
today a really important Wandsworth institution turns 60 today. No, it's not Pizza Express,
although they are turning 60 today. It's actually Wandsworth Borough Council.
So in 1965, previous mayors and previous councillors of the old metropolitan boroughs of Battersea
and Wandsworth were holding their last meetings. And around about today, the new mayor and
the new councillors of Wandsworth Borough Council,
bright -eyed and bushy -tailed,
would have met in this meeting,
for the inaugural meeting of Wandsworth Borough Council.
And what a 60 years that has been.
It has, and I don't, I mean, I'm 36,
you don't need me to recite what's happened
in the last 60 years.
But other people in this room will recognize
just how much the borough has transformed
in those 60 years.
the ward that I'm privileged to represent, Northcote,
that has gone from a ward of the street market,
of the factory workers that Nell Dunn wrote about
in Up the Junction, to an area that estate agents
still call now Nappy Valley, or between the commons,
or some other
synecdoche.
But elsewhere in the borough, former industrial land
has now given away to new thriving diverse communities.
And it's hard to, I think, understate in Wandsworth
the role the council actually played in that.
Because if you think about the council,
the term the council is often not very used
in a very flattering way.
We talk about why haven't the council
collected the bins this week?
Or have you spoken to the council about planning permission?
But I think we can all say in this room
that Wandsworth Council, I think, has done more to shape the very fabric of our borough
than possibly any other local authority in the country.
Much, much older colleagues than me might remember this absolute eccentric scheme in the 60s
and 70s called the Ringways, you know, when the Greater London Council wanted
to build these huge motorways going through all of London.
Ringways Number 2, which was opposed by an alliance of Conservative
and labor counselors would have literally come right through the borough and would have
destroyed in its wake so much of the borough that we recognize today.
And in so many other aspects, the fabric of the borough shows the work that counselors
have done.
So whether it was the radical labor council in the 60s and 70s that built council housing,
and we see the Doddington and Rollo estates today, to the work of the last conservative
Council that restored and brought back to life and reimagined the iconic Battersea Power
Station. Now the AGM is a civic occasion. It's not the place to litigate the rights
and wrongs of all those decisions, and we'll do that in the chamber later. But I think
both sides would agree with the power and importance of local government. It's more
than just sweeping the streets, but it really does shape the lives of our residents.
I think in a time when perhaps the stock of politicians nationally perhaps isn't what
perhaps we'd like it to be, I think local government, which is the closest layer of
government to people's lives, I think does have a special role to play.
I think all of us in this room, I think, would appreciate, would acknowledge that it's an
arena where perhaps we can stand quite tall.
I think that's why we spend all the time in the chamber.
We spend evenings knocking on doors in community halls,
replying to that last casework email at one o 'clock in the morning,
because we recognize the role is a privilege, it's important, and it's impactful.
Now 60 years of runs of council also means 60 years of mayors.
And I want to take this point now to look to the future,
because of course the best mayors are always asked to do an encore. And later
we are going to be delighted to welcome Councillor Jeremy Ambash to his encore
when he takes up his second stint as the mayor of this borough.
Jeremy Ambash, a mayor so good they appointed him twice. As the leader already
said there's a special magic about the role of the mayor.
It's to be above party politics,
and it's the borough's first citizen,
it's the dignified aspect of our council,
and they chair rather than participate in our meetings.
And I know that Councillor Ambash has a deep commitment
to the non -partisan role of mayor,
and the power and the dignity of the office of mayor.
That's no more evident in his very generous offer
to restore the tradition of offering the deputy mayorship
to a member of the opposing party.
And we know that in that role,
Councillor Ismae Virchow is really going to do us proud.
Now my last duty as leader of the opposition
before I sit down now is that I have to say something
at Councillor Ambash's expense
because there'll be lovely tributes afterwards,
so I've just got to get in a few digs whilst I can
and you're all paying attention.
Now this part is really hard.
It's really hard because trying to dig up dirt
about this man is nigh on impossible.
I mean, I really asked everybody.
Finally, in my desperation, I asked Councillor Fraser
and I said, I need something embarrassing and funny
about Councillor Ambash.
What can I say this evening?
Straight out of the block, Councillor Fraser said,
well, you used to be a Lib Dem.
And I said, well, that's not funny.
Embarrassing, perhaps, but not funny.
But Jeremy, we all know about your sordid past,
and we have long forgiven you for that.
But I pressed Councillor Fraser, and I said, come on,
I need something funny.
I went round the side.
She said, well, he likes cycling.
I said, come on, I need something funny.
She said, well, he plays tennis
and he swims most days in Putney.
I said, Claire, these really aren't funny.
And she said, yeah, he's just not that funny.
But we know that's not true.
We know the council at Ambash has a wonderful sense of humor
and my goodness, you need it to do some of the role of mayor
and to preside over our proceedings in the town hall.
I know it's going to be a wonderful year for you, Jeremy, particularly in an election year
where things, the temperature may get higher than it usually does, but I know you'll bring
your usual judgement, calm and presence to those meetings.
So Jeremy, thank you so much.
Councillor Jaffray, thank you so much, and I'll see you back on the doorstep.
Thank you, Councillor Hogg and Councillor Richard Jones for their kind words.
Good evening again, distinguished guests.
So welcome to tonight's meeting.
My final one, serving as the Mayor of Wandsworth.
Later this evening, we will decide on the selection of the mayor -elect, who will then
continue with the completion of the meeting.
Tonight, we also take a moment to celebrate the contributions of the youth mayor already
in Wandsworth.
A testament to the energy, passion and promise of our young people.
It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as the Mayor of this remarkable borough.
I stand before you filled with gratitude for the privilege of representing Wandsworth and
for the unwavering support of so many of you. I want to thank everyone who has been part of
journey. I've made friendships I will cherish for a lifetime. To those closest
to me, my parents who have always loved and cared for me, my siblings Fatima,
Sabrina and Ali Raza, thank you for being my strength. And to my wonderful
children, Zoya and Abbas. Your patience and support this year
your patience and support this past year has meant the world to me. Your sacrifices
have not gone unnoticed. You are everything I could ever hope for in my
A heartfelt thank you to Councillor Paul White, who nominated me for this role.
Your mentorship and friendship over the past three years has been invaluable.
To the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Finner -Eres, thank you for your unwavering support and
commitment to the borough.
It has been a privilege working alongside you.
I also want to recognize the incredible work of the youth mayor, Millie Quinn, and youth
deputy mayor, Faye Varneri.
You have both served our borough with such dedication and spirit.
Thank you.
Throughout my mayoral year, I focused on a theme that I hold close to my heart, hope.
Hope for the best for Wandsworth and its people.
I committed myself wholeheartedly
to this borough and its communities.
The love and well wishes I have received
throughout the year have been humbling and deeply moving.
Today, I step down as not only the first Muslim
and first South Asian mayor of Wandsworth,
but also its youngest.
I do so with pride, with joy and with hope for the future. As I retire from my role,
I leave with immense appreciation for many people who keep Wandsworth thriving. So the council team,
Councillors, officers, all the staff at Frogmore and Tadmore, who nobody remembers.
Ms. Anne, who welcomes everyone into the town hall with warmth and a smile.
Connor, Anna, and the entire FM staff. Thank you for all that you do.
Pat Batista from the mayor's office as well as the rest of the mayoralty and Pat it is Pat's
last day today as well. Our amazing charities and voluntary sector organizations your work
changes lives and your impact is felt throughout the borough. Thank you. This year has been historic.
We celebrated Wandsworth's selection as a London Borough of Culture 2025.
Its recognition as a borough of sanctuary and its 60th anniversary. We even had the
in honor of welcoming His Majesty King Charles.
When asked about the highlights of my year,
I often reflect on many visits to local schools.
I hosted tours, debates, and question times.
These visits gave young people the opportunity
to see local government in action.
And some even felt left feeling inspired.
Visiting my old school, Burntwood,
and hearing from students who felt empowered by my journey was particularly meaningful.
The deputy lieutenants and I also had the pleasure of visiting our Bora's cadet units.
The deputy mayor and myself, we try to encourage young leaders of tomorrow.
A short thank you goes to the deputy lieutenants for representing His Majesty
and attending civic ceremonies with such grace.
One touching moment I won't forget was assisting Kelly on a shopping trip with help
from Wandsworth Community Transport Team.
A small act that reminded me how service comes in many forms.
I am proud to share that over the year we raised over 103 ,000 pounds.
So this is including the price, the match fund of 50 ,000 pounds.
So this is amazing.
my three Mayoral Chosen Charities,
Homestar at Wandsworth, Racket's Cubed,
and Tooting Community Kitchen.
Thank you for your incredible work you do.
I know you will continue to make a difference in our community.
To the May I Elect and Deputy May I Elect,
I wish you every success in the year ahead.
May your time in office be as rewarding and impactful
as ours has been.
Thank you Wandsworth for this extraordinary opportunity.
I will carry this experience with me always.
The past year has truly changed my life.
Thank you.
So, I'm going to move on to the actual substance of the meeting.
So item agenda number one is the election of the mayor.
The first business on the agenda is the election of mayor.
May I have nominations for the office of mayor for the ensuing year?
Thank you, Councillor Boswell.
Can everybody hear me nice and clearly, even at the back?
Thank you, Councillor, and thank you for your very moving speech.
Now we move to next year.
I was delighted when Jeremy asked me to propose him for mayor this time.
I first met Jeremy over a decade ago.
He was and still is a whirlwind of energy and action.
The action back then was to get me selected as the parliamentary candidate for Putney.
As he drove me around the constituency in his car, knocking on doors of Labour Party members
and getting them to vote for me, which they duly did,
I knew that I had one of the best activists in town on my side.
But in the end, it was, of course, a hopeless cause.
We were up against Justin Greening, a really excellent MP.
But in true Jeremy style, he harnessed the energy created,
and in between playing tennis, became a counselor himself for Roehampton Ward,
where he was famed for getting people signed up for postal votes. Lots and lots of them.
Now, Jeremy and I share a connection to a well -known school which he attended,
and I have lots of family who were pupils there.
Bedales in Hampshire.
Educational historians will know, Bedales was the first coeducational progressive boarding
school in the country, set up back in 1893.
Jeremy wasn't a pupil then back in 1983.
It was set up by J .H.
Bagley as a humane alternative to authoritarian regimes of late Victorian public schools.
Pioneering at the turn of the 20th century, a whole child holistic approach to education,
where pupils' academic learning and sports and physical progress was equally encouraged
alongside developing their emotional well -being.
It was quite extraordinary for that time.
It's a school where pupils called teachers by their first name, no uniform was worn,
no particular religion was followed, nobody was judged by their sexual orientation, where
they came from, how they looked, or how they spoke.
Back in the late 1950s and early 60s when Jeremy was there,
this ethos of inclusivity was very unusual.
And I think it helps explain Jeremy
and why he made a wonderful mayor the first time round
and will make an even better one this time.
The charities he has chosen, Wandsworth Supports Refugees, Wandsworth Oasis and Mindworks UK
reflect this and his view of the world and his commitment to equality.
It also helps explain why when I asked the wonderful staff in the mayor's office to pick
out something about Jeremy as mayor last time, they said,
he was the best mayor we've ever had.
Although maybe they say that about all our wonderful mayors.
I am delighted to have been asked to propose Jeremy
and hope you will all support him in his second term
in office as the mayor of this fantastic borough.
Thank you, Councillor Boswell.
Is there any seconder?
Councillor Henderson, please come to the lectern.
Thank you.
Sorry, before you commence, I understand you both wished to say a few words in support
of your nomination.
So, over to you, Councillor Henderson.
Thank you Madam Mayor.
First of all, can I say it's a tremendous honour to be asked to second Jeremy's nomination.
Someone I regard as a friend and an excellent colleague.
As you've heard, this is the second time that Jeremy has been nominated for the Mayor.
I mean, as Councillor Richard Jones said, he did such a good job the first time round.
we had to invite him back for a second bite of the cherry.
But that was because of his tremendous commitment.
He, like Councillor Jaffray, raised an enormous amount
of money for his chosen charities.
I mean, his energy was unbelievable.
And uniquely, may not necessarily be regarded by Jeremy
as one of his highest points,
but he's actually the first mayor for 70 years
to read a proclamation on the king's accession to the throne.
It's a unique achievement, which I'm sure you'll always remember,
standing on the steps of the town hall, etc.
But as has been said, Jeremy has this tremendous energy.
Before most of us even contemplated having breakfast,
Jeremy would have either played a game of tennis or he would have gone swimming.
And that is reflected very much in how he approached the job last time, and I'm sure this coming year.
I mean tennis has always been a very major part of Jeremy's life.
He plays at the tennis club, much more illustrious than the one down the road in Wimbledon.
But one of his charity fundraising events was actually a tennis tournament.
Now, he assures me he didn't actually win it, but apparently he beat everyone else.
So you can draw your own conclusion from that.
And what a nice thing to do to organize a tournament that you effectively star in yourself.
But that isn't actually Jeremy who just has this tremendous love of tennis.
And I suspect that if Jeremy does have one regret in life, it's that he never actually played in Wimbledon championships.
I'm sure you would have loved to have done that.
But Jamie also brought this incredibly unique
and refreshing approach to the mayoralty,
doing things in a very different way
to the way things had been done in the past.
He introduced a period of reflection
at the start of all four council meetings
where councillors actually thought, kept quiet,
and just simply reflected on the issues that they were due to consider.
He is, as I said, a very active cyclist and I think probably one of the very few, if only,
men to actually cycle to the events of which he officiated at.
Of course, he couldn't actually travel with an aerial chain.
They had to be transported separately for insurance purposes.
But it was great on so many occasions to see Jeremy turning up at these events, not in
the mayor's car, but actually on bike.
Every time I went to a different event that Jeremy was officiating at, he seemed to have
a different consort.
Now, in some quarters that may be viewed with a certain degree of suspicion.
But in fact this is very much part of what Jeremy wanted to do.
He wanted to bring the melody alive to the residents of this great borough.
So he had a variety of different councils, councillors, people from charities, particularly
his nominated charities and from members of the public.
And the other thing reflected the vast breadth of support
there was for his mayor and what he was actually trying to do.
He is very much part of the Pudney community.
He has lived there for a very considerable amount of time,
but he has done tremendous work across the entire borough.
His background was in local government.
I mean, he basically saw, breathed,
and moved local government.
He became a very senior officer in local government,
specializing in social care.
And I first want to personal thanks to him
for mentoring me on social care issues.
When Jeremy and I served together
as joint opposition spokespeople
on adult social care and public health.
So thank you, Jeremy.
that was extremely helpful.
As Councillor Richard Jones,
and I thought at one point,
I thought he was stealing my speech,
but he referred to the fact that,
you know, the one black mark against Jeremy
was that when he had to,
when he gave up his role as local government officer,
he was able to be active in politics,
and he joined the Liberal Democrats.
Now, I think all this really sort of demonstrates
that even the best of us make mistakes
during the course of our lives.
But, you know, that is forgivable.
I'm also his nomination for deputy,
and I wasn't gonna say anything,
but congratulations, Councillor Burchill.
But that does very much reflect Jeremy's approach
to politics and local government.
The fact that the councillors of all political parties
should come together and work together
for the betterment of our society
and to improve the lives of one's residents.
I have to say, Rosemary, that you're gonna have to expend
an enormous amount of energy over the next year
just simply keeping up with Jeremy.
Finally, I'm sure Jeremy's daughters probably find him incredibly exasperating at a time
when they tell him to slow down, to take things easy. What hope is that? But that is precisely
why Jeremy will make an excellent mayor second time around. Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Boswell and Councillor Henderson.
Are there any other nominations?
Okay.
I submit the name of Councillor Jeremy Ambash to the meeting.
Those Councillors in favour, please raise your hands.
Those against?
Any abstentions? I hereby declare that Councillor Jeremy Ambash is duly elected Mayor of the
London Borough of Wandsworth for the ensuing year.
Councillor Ambas, you have been elected to the office of mayor.
Do you accept this office?
Yes, I do.
Councillor Ambas, will you please read aloud and sign the declaration of acceptance of
office, which is on the lectern.
Good.
Just driving time.
I, Councillor Jeremy Ambash, having been elected to the office of Mayor of the Council of the
London Borough of Wandsworth, declare that I take that office upon myself and would duly
Faithfully fulfill the duties of it according to the best of my judgment and ability
Councillor oh, sorry, I sign it try sign it yeah
21st of May
Thank you Madam Mayor.
Thank you and congratulations Councillor Ambash and congratulations on your Deputy Mayor or role Councillor Burchill.
I invite the Mayor, Councillor Ambash to retire with me for the purpose of robing.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Please be seated.
Deputy Left -Helent Colleen Harris, Councillors, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good evening.
It means a lot to me that you are here tonight for our Mayor -making evening.
After all, you chose to be here and you're missing out on the Football Europa League final tonight.
Thank you, councillors, for electing me.
The first time I was mayor, my oldest daughter Zoe accompanied me.
So, to demonstrate my commitment to fairness in the family,
you'll see I've asked my younger daughter, Lucy,
to sit on the stage.
I couldn't have done too badly first time round
to be brought back for a second term.
Is it because I'm wearing the Mayoral jewels so well?
More seriously, when I joined the council in 2014,
I never expected to be mayor. To take on this role for the second time is a huge
honour and a responsibility. We move to item two, appointment of the Deputy Mayor.
Councillors, moving to item two on the agenda, I have appointed Councillor
Rosemary Burchell to be Deputy Mayor for the borough. I know we will work well
together and that Rosemary would do an excellent job
and her husband Richard Burchell would be her consort.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Item three, the minutes.
The minutes of the meeting held on the 5th of March, 2025
have been circulated.
Is it agreed that I sign them as a correct record?
Thank you councillors.
Item four is the mayor's announcement.
First we go to apologies for absence. They've been received from
Councillor Austin, Councillor Cook, Councillor Peter Graham,
Justin, Owens and Veratharaj.
And apologies for lateness from Councillor Cooper. Are there any other
apologies of absence. Councillor Marshall, thank you. No other apologies.
Okay, so thanks and congratulations to the outgoing Mayor and the Deputy Mayor,
Councillor Sauna Jaffray and Councillor Finneras, who have done a fantastic job
throughout the last Mayoral year. Councillor Sauna Jaffray did all her
duties with great dignity, warmth, empathy, love and compassion. I know that Councillor
Jeffery has a special connection with children generally, and particularly with children
who have special needs. Councillor Finneray has provided amazing indefatigable support
and encouragement.
She's a great role model for someone in her early 80s.
And thank you to last year's Youth Mayor,
Millie Quinn, who can't be here,
and the Deputy Youth Mayor, Faval Honoree, who is here.
Millie has asked me to express her thanks
and to say she was honored to serve as Wandsworth's first -ever youth mayor.
The experience has deepened her commitment to representing and championing the voice
of young people across the borough, and she wishes the new youth mayor every success in
making a difference and inspiring generations.
Favaud highlighted speaking in front of thousands of people at Battersea Park fireworks display
as a particular highlight.
And she's asked me to express her thanks
for being given the opportunity to champion
and voice young people in Wandsworth.
So the new Youth Mayor who was elected on Monday
or Tuesday this week, Quasi Akrum Konachi,
and the Deputy Youth Mayor is Sophia Dyson.
They've been elected by the Youth Council.
Congratulations to both of you.
The Deputy Mayor and I look forward to working with you over the year to help you achieve
strong voices from young people you represent,
and the Council listens to your views and suggestions,
and that you really make a difference.
And it was great to meet you just before the meeting.
Congratulations.
A few personal things about me that may be relevant,
so adds to what my proposer and seconders
said to embarrass me.
I had surgery and a new knee last year and I'm still in physiotherapy rehabilitation
at Queen Mary's Hospital, which is fantastic, but I'm making good progress and just back
on my bike and on the tennis court.
That's good because it would be nice to get Councillor Hogg out on the tennis court again
and maybe have a mayoral charity match between the two main parties.
I hope that counselor Richards -Jones can be persuaded to play.
I'm still missing Anne, my wife, who died five years ago.
Some of you who know her well are here tonight.
She would have had mixed feelings about my political involvement and activities.
So even my oldest granddaughter was thinking of studying politics at university.
but after observing me and other councillors on the Finance Committee,
she decided against this.
Councillors may need to reflect on the example we set the next generation.
Unfortunately, Eva can't be here tonight to feedback her observations as she is in the
middle of her A -levels at the moment.
Many of you know from my last Mayoral year that I am a person with no religious faith,
so I won't be appointing a chaplain or a faith leader.
However, I continue to be impressed by many faith groups and what they do to support and
build a strong and inclusive community, and I thank them for all they do.
I learned so much about the community the first time I was Mayor.
I am looking forward to learning more this time.
I want to tell you four things that I am seeking to achieve over the year, working with the
Deputy Mayor.
I hope our Council meetings can model good behaviour whilst having vigorous political
debates.
Secondly, I hope to celebrate Aida Vaz Caucias in our year as London Borough of Culture.
Now through my door, I just received this program,
which is the Wandsworth Art Fringe in June.
It's coming up.
Do come along and get involved.
Anna Popovici asked me, the Deputy Chief Executive,
to remind you, you can all get involved
in terms of volunteering, in terms of the borough culture.
Involvement in events, involvement supporting events,
Thirdly, I hope we can bum more inclusive, welcoming those who are most disadvantages
and marginalized to be included.
And fourthly, I hope we can develop more active lifestyles and travel more on foot, on scooters
and on bicycles.
If we achieve these four, I'll be delighted.
Just a little bit about council meetings.
I am planning at the start of Council meetings to have people of faith and people without
faith sharing what I hope will be inspiring thoughts.
Councillors, I hope, will benefit from wise thoughts and some inspiration before our Council
meetings.
I hope that we can have robust debates in our Council meetings while treating each other
with courtesy and respect.
A few thanks, first to Council staff across the Council, for all you do every day.
I would ask our Deputy Chief Exec, Anna Popovici, to convey to our Council staff huge and heartfelt
thanks for all you do for our community.
The Council cherishes our staff as they are our most vital resource to deliver for the
people of Wandsworth.
I'd like to add a special thank you to Pat Batista who works in the Mayor's Office
and it's her last day of service today.
has been said.
Pat, just stay there a sec.
You have advised and guided the last 13 mayors over the 36 years that you've been working
brilliantly for the council.
Thank you and congratulations.
I'm proposing three mayoral charities support and raise funds.
They are Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees who started working with the council and others
to make Wandsworth welcoming and supportive of refugees.
We're pleased to have received
Borough of Sanctuary status as a council,
but there is more to do on this journey,
becoming refugee -friendly.
Secondly, Wandsworth Oasis, which runs charity shops
that refreshes and repurposes goods.
This charity funds projects that support those with HIV -AIDS.
And third charity is Mindwatch UK, is based in Tooting and offers counseling,
psychotherapy and training for refugees and asylum seekers who have experienced traumas.
They provide counseling in nine different languages.
To identify representatives of these charities, please can the following stand up and wave
so that you can see who they are and use the time after the formal part
of the meeting to get to know them.
Mary Hargreaves and Carrie Sedgwick from Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees.
Where are you?
Raewyn Jones from Wandsworth Oasis.
APPLAUSE
And Sahar Begg from Mind Works.
Yes, they're all over there.
Do have a chat with any of them
if you want to find out more about what they do.
I also want to support other emerging voluntary groups,
not -for -profit organizations, newly established charities.
I hope the Deputy Mayor and I can help by applauding
and amplifying the valuable work of all these groups
and what they do, and by helping to gain positive publicity.
How Civic Awards may help do this, please submit your nominations for those who have
gone above and beyond what can be expected in Wandsworth.
You can do this now in our newly launched website.
Nominations are open until Monday 23rd June, so please let us know who you think should
be recognised.
Let's get on with the formal business of Council, the Council meeting, and then we
can eat, drink, chat, renew friendships, and please use the time to meet new people and
make new friendships.
There are items on the agenda this evening that should be considered as a matter of urgency
by reason of the special circumstances,
the special circumstances set out in full
at the top of each report.
So we're on to item five,
which relates to the appointment of the cabinet members
and the deputy leader of the council,
and the delegation of executive powers
has set out in paper 25161.
Is the report received for information, councillors?
Agreed. Agreed.
Thank you, councillors.
Item 6 deals with the notification received of the leader and the deputy leader of the
Opposition as set out in Paper 25162. Is this report received as information?
Thank you, Councillors. Agreed.
Item 7 is the appointment of committees. The report is set out in Paper 25163 and details
of the proposed membership for the next municipal year
are set out in the appendix of that paper.
Is that report approved?
Agreed?
Thank you, councillors.
Item eight is the report of the proposed appointment
to outside bodies which is set out in paper number 23164
and its appendix.
Is the report approved?
Thank you, councillors.
members. We now turn to item 9, which is report number
1, item for decision. Members, the recommendations of this item came to the General Purposes Committee,
which met last week to debate this issue behind the recommendation. A recording of this meeting
is available on the Council website if people want to listen and look at it.
Respecting the civic function of this evening's meeting,
I'm grateful that both groups have agreed
not to deliver party political speeches.
And while the majority of items on tonight's agenda
are agreed by all councillors,
this item will be subject to a vote.
The administration's position is as follows.
The administration has identified five areas of focus
in which it says additional support for the cabinet
will help it deliver on its policy agenda.
It is proposed that this support is provided
through five deputy cabinet members,
resident engagement, environment, housing,
communities, and health.
These roles will replace the provision in the constitution of the eight policy champions.
The opposition group position is that the proposal to create deputy cabinet members,
with each receiving an allowance of £9 ,314,
involves an increase in the cost of council allowance scheme by around £23 ,000
and an overall budget of 46 ,570.
This does not provide value for money,
nor make provision for appropriate scrutiny by councillors.
As a result, the Conservative opposition councillors
will vote against.
I move the reception of that report
and ask members whether they approve the recommendation
in paragraph one, proposed revisions to article seven
of the consequential amendments
to the members allowance scheme, paper 25164.
But I understand the opposition group on the council
would like a recorded vote.
So can I ask the normal support
for request from five members?
Thank you, yep, received.
Which means that we'll have an individual vote.
Thank you.
I now invite the Deputy Chief Executive to call the vote
for whether the recommendations are approved
and remind members that we are not in the chamber.
The microphones will not pick up
whether you are voting against, for, against or abstaining.
So it's very important to state clearly
how you are voting is the custom.
As mayor, I will not be voting.
Anna Popovici, would you like to take the vote?
Thank you. I'm going to start by saying that the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Burchill, has
also chosen not to take part in this vote. Councillors, I'm going to call your name.
Councillor Kinola? Councillor Nunn? Can you please speak up just for the camera and the
public?
Agreed.
Councillor Nunn?
Agreed.
Councillor Apse?
Agreed.
Councillor Ayres?
Agreed.
Councillor Bailton.
Councillor Boswell.
Councillor Brooks.
Councillor Caddy.
Councillor Coghley.
Councillor Cooper.
Not present.
Councillor Corner.
Councillor Critchard.
Councillor Crivelli.
Councillor Davies.
Councillor de la Deleuze.
10. Councillor Dickard stat up.
Not present.
Councillor Jeffries.
Councillor Lawless.
Councillor Lee.
Councillor Lococo.
Councillor Mayorkas.
Councillor McLeod.
Councillor Osborne.
Councillor Paul.
Councillor Pritam.
Councillor Richard Jones.
Councillor Rigby.
Councillor Stokes, Councillor Sattors, not present.
Councillor Sweet, Councillor Tiller, Councillor White,
Councillor Worrall and Councillor Yates.
Thank you councillors.
So just a moment before I get the result.
Okay.
The motion is passed.
Votes for 29, votes against 17, abstentions naught.
I therefore declare that the recommendations are approved.
That concludes the formal business for this evening.
I hope members and guests can join me and the outgoing Mayor in the adjacent hall for
some refreshments.
I hope that it will be possible during the evening for me to meet every one of you.
Please circulate and enjoy yourselves for the rest of the evening.
Thank you very much.