Leadership of the Council

What is 'the Cabinet'?

The Leader of the Council chairs Cabinet meetings, and chooses the Councillors who will form the Cabinet.

Cabinet meetings take place 12 times a year. Any decision with a financial impact, whether it be a cost or saving, above £100,000 is normally decided by a Cabinet member or by all Cabinet members sitting collectively.

The Cabinet has overall responsibility for services in Derby and works within the overall policies and budget agreed by the Council. It makes recommendations to the Full Council on key items of policy and the annual budget.

Leader of the Council - Councillor Paul Bayliss

Paul Bayliss was first elected as ward councillor for Alvaston in 1996. Paul has served in a variety of positions on the council. He became leader of the Labour Group in 2010 and then Leader of the Council two years later.

Paul, who was born in Mackworth and is a former pupil at Noel Baker School in Alvaston, also spent 26 years working for Derby's largest and longest-established marketing agency, rising to become a main board director.

Responsibilities include:

• overall strategic leadership
• economic regeneration
• regeneration projects
• performance and improvement
• policy and research
• engagement and consultation
• transformation
• communications
• property and estates.

Manifesto commitments...

• To create and enhance opportunities, in order to inspire a city where people are able to develop new skills and have higher aspirations.
• To protect existing jobs.
• To promote our city as a centre of excellence, in order to encourage and develop new business opportunities with the result being more jobs, and a stronger micro economy.
• To develop Derby City Charity in order to facilitate funding key voluntary sector organisations through local charitable donations.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Streetpride - Councillor Ranjit Banwait

Ranjit Banwait was born and brought up in Normanton, Derby. He attended Dale Primary School and then Village Community School off the Austin Estate.

The son of postman with 35 years' experience at Derby Royal Mail and a school cleaner, Ranjit became the first person in his family to attend university, graduating from the University of Kent. After a short spell living in London he moved back to Derby to settle down and raise a family.

He is married and lives in Alvaston with his wife Lucy and son Sebastian. He has been a councillor for Boulton since 2006.

Responsibilities include:

• traffic and transportation
• grounds maintenance and cleansing
• highways and engineering
• waste management and disposal
• communities
• neighbourhood partnerships.

Manifesto commitments...

• Labour is committed to revitalising the neighbourhood agenda to engage with local people on issues that matter to them.
• To introduce Neighbourhood wardens, in order to tackle local anti-social issues such as: littering, dog fouling, fly tipping and graffiti. And to empower these wardens with enforcement powers in order to punish those who breach the rules.
• To support Derbyshire Constabulary in order to initiate a programme of innovative ideas to protect the security of people across the city.
• To maintain the Council's CCTV system, in order to assist in the prevention of crime and the protection of the public.

Cabinet Member for Planning, Environment and Trading Standards - Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa

As the son of Derby's first ethnic minority Mayor, it was perhaps inevitable that Hardyal Dhindsa would forge a career in politics. Originally elected to Derbyshire County Council in 1993, Hardyal became a Derby City councillor two years later and has served for all but two years since then. Hardyal has served as deputy leader of the Labour Group and has led several Cabinet portfolios.

He has worked in the Probation Service for many years and has operated as a Deputy Director and Area Manager since 2008. Hardyal is Chair of Surtal Arts and a leading member of Derby and Derbyshire Racial Equality Council.

Responsibilities include:

• environmental health and licensing
• trading standards
• crematorium and cemeteries
• corporate health and safety
• climate change
• development control
• spatial planning
• maintenance and energy
• facilities management.

Manifesto commitments...

• To lead by example and commit to reducing the Council's carbon footprint, and to actively encourage others to follow.
• To protect the quality of life for residents and visitors by maintaining a healthy city environment, by protecting and maintaining our parks and green spaces.
• To work in partnership with local bus operators to improve services for the people of Derby.

Cabinet Member for Adults and Health - Councillor Fareed Hussain

Fareed Hussain came to live in Derby in 1974. After a variety of jobs in private industry and a short spell as self-employed restaurateur, he became a Day Worker in Social Services with Derbyshire County Council in 1985.

Fareed was elected to Derby City Council in 1991, representing, Babington Ward and has served Arboretum Ward since 2002. He has played a lead role in shaping adult services and health in the city over recent years as Chair of overview and scrutiny commissions and as Cabinet Member.

Responsibilities include:

• assessment and support planning
• enablement services
• access and direct services
• safeguarding adults
• public health
• care and support
• sector development.

Manifesto commitments...

• To empower the public, so that individuals can control how their services are designed and delivered.
• To improve extra care provision in the city by increasing choices available to people who have extensive care needs.
• To commit to safeguarding the future of existing care homes run by the Council.
• To ensure that Derby’s homeless are treated with dignity and fairness.

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People - Councillor Martin Rawson

Martin Rawson became a councillor for Derwent ward in a 2005 by-election that contributed to Labour taking control of Derby City Council. Martin has sat on several overview and scrutiny commissions as well as committees dealing with licensing, personnel and audit and accounts. He spent two years as Shadow Cabinet Member for Resources before taking ownership of the Children and Young People portfolio as Cabinet Member in May 2012. 

Responsibilities include:

• school organisation and provision
• quality, standards and performance
• inclusion and intervention
• early intervention
• safeguarding children
• children in care
• adult learning.

Manifesto commitments...

• To commit Derby City Council to being the preferred provider of vital support and services, that enables schools to provide the best education and care for our children.
• To oppose the governments academies programme of creating a two tier education system and to keep all remaining schools within local authority control.
• To show a commitment to children in Local Authority care, and to ensure that they are provided with the best possible care and support available.
• To actively encourage schools to share 'best practice'.
• To remain committed to all Children's Centres, and to ensure they remain open.
• To show a commitment to Youth Services, and to ensure necessary steps are taken to maintain facilities, including the retention and delivery of the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme.

Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture - Councillor Martin Repton

Martin Repton was first elected to the council in 1987 and has served in a variety of positions since then. Prior to assuming his current Council Cabinet portfolio, Martin has been responsible for areas including planning and transport and was previously Deputy Leader of the Council.

Martin's professional background was in commerce before moving into the probation service and into adult social services. Most recently, Martin was a community mental health professional.

Responsibilities include:

• Leisure and Culture development
• Derby LIVE
• museums and libraries
• leisure facilities
• museums transformation.

Manifesto commitments...

• To enhance and promote our unique tourist attractions, by developing a plan, which is based on Derby's World Heritage status. As part of this plan we will listen to the people of Derby and re-open the Silk Mill museum, therefore ensuring we protect our heritage.

Cabinet Member for Business, Finance and Democracy - Councillor Sarah Russell

Sarah Russell is originally from Sheffield but moved to Derby to study. She is a University of Derby law graduate who became heavily involved in local campaigns, leading calls to protect care homes and children's centres in the city during 2010/11.

Sarah was elected as councillor for Abbey ward in a by-election in 2011, retaining the seat for a further four-year term 12 months later. Sarah became the youngest Council Cabinet member in the country in May 2012 when she assumed the portfolio for Business, Finance and Democracy aged 22.

Responsibilities include:

• finance and procurement
• internal audit and risk management
• customer services
• benefits
• legal services
• democracy
• human resources and business support
• ICT and business systems.

Manifesto commitments...

• To seek to prevent financial exclusion by ensuring that advice on budgeting is readily available.
• To introduce a savings Scheme to prevent Council tax payers falling into arrears.
• To develop a financial services package, so that residents can save money whilst generating income to sustain front line services, and to counter the government’s policy of cuts.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Advice - Councillor Baggy Shanker

The son of a foundry worker, Baggy Shanker became a councillor for Sinfin in 2008. Having previously sat on regulatory committees and overview and scrutiny commissions, Derby-born Baggy became Cabinet member for Housing and Advice in 2012.

Baggy has a wealth of experience working in some of Derby's largest organisations. After working at British Celanese for 23 years, he then joined Rolls-Royce in 2012.

Responsibilities include:

• Housing Options service
• housing strategy
• housing development
• empty homes
• Derby Homes.

Manifesto commitments...

• To retain ownership of housing stock and not to sell or transfer it to any housing association or private landlord.
• To return control of council house rents to Derby City Council, in order to invest in the building of new homes.
• To maintain security of tenure for all new and existing Council tenants and to promote good neighbourly principles through community cohesion and good behaviour.