The Council operates the directly elected mayoral form of executive. The Council is composed of a Mayor and forty-five Councillors. The Mayor is directly elected by the electors of the Borough, normally for a four-year term of office. The mayoral election will be held on the same day as the ordinary Council elections, at which Councillors are elected to represent each of the wards within the Borough every four years. Councillors are democratically accountable to residents of their ward. The overriding duty of Councillors is to the whole community, but they have a special duty to their constituents, including those who did not vote for them.

The Council may also appoint additional ‘Co-opted’ Members to certain Committees and Sub-Committees. Co-optees are people who are chosen to represent a specific area of interest or issue of consideration. These representatives are not elected members of the Council and are appointed because of their level of knowledge and experience. These co-opted members make a very useful contribution to discussions and help make the correct decisions in relation to important matters.

The Mayor, Councillors and Co-optees are together known as ‘Members’ of the Authority. Members have to agree to follow a Code of Conduct for Members to ensure high standards in the way they undertake their duties. The Council’s Standards Advisory Committee is responsible for advising Members on the Code of Conduct and ensuring that they receive training on the requirements of the Code, which they are required to observe in carrying out their duties and responsibilities as Members.

The Mayor and all Councillors meet together at Council. Meetings of Council are normally open to the public. Here Councillors decide the Council’s overall budget and some policies (including the Budget and Policy Framework). Council appoints annually an Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Regulatory Committees, a Standards Advisory Committee, and other statutory, advisory and consultative bodies.

The Mayor appoints a Deputy Mayor and (up to eight) additional Cabinet Members who form the Council’s Executive, they are responsible for most day to day decisions and most policies. The Mayor and other Executive Members meet together as the ‘Cabinet’. The Mayor is responsible for the Council’s main executive decision-making powers and the overall delivery of Council services.

The Mayor may also establish other Executive decision-making bodies and currently the Council has:

• The King George’s Field Charity Board to administer the affairs of the King George's Field, Mile End charity of which the Council is the sole trustee;

• The Grants Determination Sub-Committee.

• The Cabinet Housing Management Sub-Committee

Note - The Health and Wellbeing Board can also take some Executive decisions.

Part F (The Mayor and Executive and Executive Procedure Rules) contains more detail on the Mayor and executive functions.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is established to review or scrutinise decisions of the Executive and conduct reviews into functions which are the responsibility of the Executive. Part G of the Constitution sets out a summary and details in relation to Overview and Scrutiny.

From 17 March 2026 until 31 March 2028, the Council is subject to Directions made by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government under the Local Government Act 1999 which mean that certain decisions of the Council can be taken by Envoys appointed by the Secretary of State.

Initially these powers are being held ‘in reserve’ and existing Council processes therefore operate. Should the Envoys wish to exercise any powers directly they will notify the Chief Executive and any consequent changes to procedures or the Constitution will be made at that time.

The powers that the Envoys may choose to take are as follows:

1. All functions associated with the governance, scrutiny and transparency of strategic decision making by the Authority, including those relating to the approval, amendment or withdrawal of the Authority’s governance instruments, policies and procedures.

2. The requirement from section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972 to make arrangements for the proper administration of the Authority’s financial affairs, and all functions associated with the strategic financial management, financial governance and scrutiny of financial decision making by the Authority, to include:

   1. providing advice and challenge to the Authority on the setting, maintaining and monitoring of annual balanced budgets, the ongoing development of a robust medium term financial strategy (MTFS) for the Authority, and on financial reporting,

   2. providing advice and challenge to the Authority on a suitable scheme of delegations for financial decision making and other relevant systems, policies and processes by which financial decisions are prepared, scrutinised and implemented,

   3. ensuring compliance with all relevant rules and guidelines relating to the financial management of the Authority, including but not limited to decisions reasonably required in response to external audit recommendations and proper procurement activity.

All functions associated with the Authority’s operating model and redesign of the Authority’s services to achieve value for money and financial sustainability, including those related to the approval of major service redesign proposals, and other decisions where material governance, financial or service outcome impacts are reasonably anticipated.

All functions relating to the appointment and dismissal of persons to positions the holders of which are to be designated as senior officers, and the designation of those persons as statutory officers, to include:

1. The functions of designating a person as a statutory officer and removing a person from a statutory office.

2. The functions under section 112 of the Local Government Act 1972 of:

   1. appointing and determining the terms and conditions of employment of an officer of the Authority, insofar as those functions are exercised for the purpose of appointing a person as an officer of the Authority principally in order for that person to be designated as a statutory officer; and

   2. dismissing any person who has been designated as a statutory officer from his or her position as an officer of the Authority.

All functions to define the officer structure for the senior and statutory positions, to determine the recruitment processes and then to recruit the relevant staff to those positions.

All functions pertaining to the development, oversight and operation of an enhanced performance management and dismissal framework for officers holding senior and statutory positions.