Speaking at tonight's Full Council, Westminster's new Leader, Cllr Paul Swaddle OBE, outlined how the new Conservative administration would deliver on its mandate for safe streets, a clean city and real action. He outlined immediate priorities on crime and enforcement, stronger street cleaning and civic pride, better value for money, and support for children, families and vulnerable residents. He also criticised the Oxford Street proposals and pledged to defend Westminster residents, businesses and local services.
Watch Paul's speech above or read below.
Lord Mayor, thank you and may I be one of the first to congratulation and to the out-going Lord Mayor thank you for your service not just last year but for your many years as a Councillor.
I also want to congratulate every councillor elected to this chamber, from every party. We have all been entrusted with the privilege of serving the people of Westminster, and I wish you all well in that endeavour.
I also want to thank the council staff who ran this election with the integrity and professionalism this city deserves, and every candidate who put themselves forward regardless of the outcome.
To my Conservative colleagues: congratulations. The people of Westminster backed our plan for Safe Streets, a Clean City and Real Action. This administration will relentlessly deliver on every part of it. That work starts today.
[Safe Streets]
That starts with the issue local people raised most urgently, across every area and doorstep in our city.
Safety.
Crime, antisocial behaviour and weak enforcement have all worsened in recent years, and Westminster deserves better.
Our plan is clear and we begin delivering it today.
I am formally appointing Councillor Caroline Sargent as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Enforcement with immediate effect.
Councillor Sargent will be the named politician, accountable at this chamber and to the public, responsible for coordinating every enforcement function this council controls: City Inspectors, licensing enforcement, street trading, environmental enforcement and our partnership with the Metropolitan Police.
A named person, in post, from day one, with a clear job to do.
Under Caroline's leadership, we are setting out a serious enforcement plan to take back control of our streets.
We will launch targeted enforcement action in the hotspots where crime and disorder are worst.
We will use Public Space Protection Orders, Community Protection Notices and licensing powers wherever they are needed.
We will convene a summit with dockless bike operators, set binding parking standards and geofenced no-go zones, and impound bikes that block pavements.
We will work with local policing units and demand visible neighbourhood policing in Westminster's highest-pressure locations.
And we will hold the Mayor to account for every officer our city has lost and every dedicated unit he has dismantled.
This Conservative administration will deliver safe streets in Westminster again.
[A Clean City]
Westminster Conservatives built a national reputation for clean public spaces, across our parks and high streets.
We introduced the first fully electric refuse fleet in the country, created the UK's largest on-street electric vehicle charging network, and launched the DontBeIdle campaign to tackle engine idling on our streets.
But since 2022, four years of decline resulted in basic standards across our city being abandoned.
The people of Westminster elected us on a clear manifesto commitment to deliver a clean city again, and that is exactly what we will do.
Councillor Tim Mitchell as Cabinet Member for City Management, and Councillor Robert Rigby as Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Civic Pride, will together drive the restoration of civic pride and street standards this city deserves.
Councillor Mitchell will also lead our work on net zero and the climate emergency, expanding our electric vehicle charging network and ensuring Westminster meets its environmental commitments with practical, deliverable action.
From today, this council operates a zero-tolerance approach to graffiti. As part of our 100-day plan, we will be launching an enhanced rapid graffiti removal programme across Westminster, working with building owners, TfL, Network Rail and the Canal and River Trust, starting with our estates, main roads, listed buildings and heritage areas.
Street cleaning and waste collection will be reliable, high frequency and tailored to Westminster's unique mix of residents, visitors and businesses. We will deploy CCTV against fly-tipping and crack down on illegal short-term lets that fuel disorder in residential communities.
[Value for Money]
When the last Conservative administration left office, Westminster had the lowest council tax in the country. That was not luck. It was discipline and a deliberate commitment to treat every pound of public money with respect.
This was a standard that was lost through reckless waste and poor due diligence from the previous administration. But the people of Westminster demanded change, and on 7 May they voted for it.
Councillor Paul Fisher as Cabinet Member for Value for Money and Finance will lead the way to proper financial discipline again.
I have already instructed officers to begin reviewing every major contract inherited from the previous administration. Every contract going forward will face proper due diligence before it is signed.
Scrutiny will be real. Transparency will be the default. And where spending cannot be justified to the residents who fund it, it will stop.
Councillor Mark Shearer, as Cabinet Member for Innovation, will drive the transformation, modernisation and digitisation of council services, ensuring we deliver more for less and that every pound spent on running this council is a pound well spent.
We will also continue to fight the Labour Government's Family Home Tax, which threatens nearly four thousand homes in Westminster.
But this Conservative-led council will keep fighting for the Westminster families being targeted by a Labour government.
Westminster's money will be managed with the respect its residents deserve.
[Caring for People and Places]
A well-run council measures itself not just by its streets and its finances, but by how it treats its most vulnerable residents.
Every child in Westminster deserves the best possible start in life. Councillor Hannah Galley as Cabinet Member for Children and Education will protect and build on Westminster's outstanding children's services, the first in the country to receive that rating from Ofsted under Conservative leadership.
Behind every statistic on adult social care, mental health and public health is a person who needs this council to get it right. Councillor Lorraine Dean as Cabinet Member for Adults and Health will make sure we do.
From adult social care and mental health to public health and the cost-of-living pressures that are pushing more residents towards community support services, Councillor Dean will ensure this council lives up to its responsibility to care for those who need it most in Westminster.
Councillor David Harvey as Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration will drive real change across three of the most pressing challenges this administration faces. He will deliver more homes, better services for tenants and leaseholders, and regeneration that works with communities rather than over them.
Councillor Harvey will also take charge of the Pimlico District Heating Undertaking and ensure that residents are not landed with bills of up to £66,000 per flat for a system imposed without genuine consultation.
And he will lead our response to homelessness, which the previous administration allowed to reach record levels, by expanding outreach, increasing access to transitional accommodation and strengthening our partnerships with charities and the Westminster Homelessness Partnership.
[Oxford Street]
Then, there is Sadiq Khan's Oxford Street vanity project.
Westminster Labour surrendered Oxford St, classifying the decision as non-major to avoid scrutiny in this chamber, and then voted down our amendment to establish a legal fighting fund to challenge it. They chose Sadiq Khan over the people who elected them.
Residents and businesses have raised serious, practical concerns.
Bus routes removed before step-free access at Oxford Circus is guaranteed. Traffic displaced into residential streets. No clear plan for how shops will be serviced, bins collected or emergency vehicles routed through. No credible answer on how crime and antisocial behaviour will be managed in one of the busiest public spaces in the capital.
These are reasonable questions. They have not been answered. And thousands of Westminster residents told us directly they oppose these plans as they currently stand.
Councillor Tim Barnes as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth and Planning will lead our work on this, alongside our broader planning and growth agenda.
We have already instructed this council to explore every legal option available to challenge the Mayor's proposals. We will write to the Mayor immediately demanding the full release of postcode-level consultation data. We will use every lever this council has to protect bus routes and ensure surrounding streets are not sacrificed for a scheme imposed without genuine local consent.
We will not stand by while local voices are ignored. We will push back, and we will not stop until residents get the answers and the respect they deserve.
[Closing]
Lord Mayor, the people of Westminster voted for change. A change in leadership. A change in direction. A council that listens, that delivers and that puts residents first.
This Conservative administration will honour that verdict relentlessly.
Safe streets, because people want enforcement that is taken seriously and a council that prioritises their safety. A clean city, because the basics matter and this council will get them right. Value for money, because residents deserve a council that respects every pound they contribute. And a council that stands up for Westminster at every level. To the Mayor. To the Government.
Four years of managed decline are over. We will deliver real action for the people of Westminster.
Safe Streets. A Clean City. Real Action.
Thank you.
