Cabinet changes announced

North Jesmond councillor Stella Postlethwaite, elected in 2016, joins the cabinet as member for Policy Co-ordination and Communications. She will be responsible for promoting the council’s achievements, international policy, corporate assets, and industrial relations framework.

Cllr Joyce McCarty will also remain in the cabinet as member for Inclusive Economy and will be responsible for investment, creating quality jobs and financial inclusion among other things.

The new deputy leader of the council, Cllr Karen Kilgour will remain Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, the council’s Armed Forces Champion as well as work closely with the leader on political governance across the council, resources and council performance.

Other roles are as follows:

• Cabinet member for Neighbourhoods and Transport, Cllr Ged Bell
• Cabinet member for Education and Skills, Cllr Paula Holland
• Cabinet member for Community Services and Public Engagement, Cllr Irim Ali
• Cabinet member for Climate Change and Public Safety, Cllr Clare Penny-Evans
• Cabinet member for Public Health and Culture, Cllr John-Paul Stephenson
• Cabinet member for Housing and Regulation, Cllr Linda Hobson

In addition, there will be three assistant cabinet members who will provide support to the leader to enhance policy development and enable effective communication across the council. They will also deputise for cabinet members, these are: Cllrs Charlie Gray and Alex Hay, both new councillors and long-standing Kenton councillor Stephen Lambert.

Cllr Nick Forbes said: “After careful consideration I am delighted and proud to unveil my new cabinet of very talented councillors. There have been significant changes to many of the portfolios this year brought about in part by the challenges the city has faced through the pandemic.

“I look forward to working with my new deputy leader Cllr Karen Kilgour who will now take on additional responsibilities, and am delighted that Joyce McCarty, who was deputy leader of the council for 10 years, will continue in the cabinet which will benefit hugely from her experience.

“Public engagement has a higher profile so we can strengthen communities across the city as we recover from the pandemic, and our new deputy assistant cabinet members will help us work more effectively across the council.

“I warmly welcome Cllr Stella Postlethwaite to the cabinet who will have an important role in co-ordinating policy and promoting the considerable achievements of our council in our valuable work with partners.”

The Cabinet reshuffle comes 11 days after voters in Newcastle went to the polls in the local elections. The council is currently made up of 52 Labour councillors, 20 Liberal Democrats, 3 Independents and 3 Newcastle Independent councillors.