The Annual Council Meeting of Brent Council saw the election of Councillor Amaraga as the new Mayor and Councillor Kanta Mistry as Deputy Mayor. The council also appointed Councillor Muhammed Butt as the new Leader of the Council, following a recorded vote.

Election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor

Councillor Amaraga was elected as the new Mayor of Brent for the 2026-2027 municipal year. Councillor Kanta Mistry was appointed as the Deputy Mayor. The election of the Mayor involved a recorded vote, with Councillor Amaraga securing a majority.

Appointment of Leader of the Council

Following a recorded vote, Councillor Muhammed Butt was elected as the Leader of the Council. An amendment to shorten the Leader's term to one year was proposed but subsequently lost.

Changes to the Constitution

The council reviewed and agreed amendments to Standing Orders 35 and 41 of the Constitution, which govern written questions and motions. These changes were necessary to reflect the new political composition of the council following the May elections. The revised arrangements will provide for two motions from the Labour group, and one from each of the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Green groups, per full council meeting. An amendment proposed by Councillor Mary Mitchell to explore the establishment of a third scrutiny committee focused on housing was unanimously carried. An amendment proposed by Councillor Paul Lorber to return to a committee system of decision-making was lost.

Representation of Political Groups on Committees

The council agreed on the allocation of seats on its committees to reflect the new political balance following the local elections. The Labour group, with 26 councillors, secured the largest proportion of seats, followed by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups, each with 11 councillors, and the Green group with 9 councillors. The Conservative group was designated as the principal opposition group. The report also outlined provisions for the appointment of political assistants to the three largest political groups: Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrats. An amendment proposed by Councillor Anton Georgiou, which sought to alter the size and allocation of committee seats, was lost.

Appointments to Committees and Other Bodies

Following the agreement on political balance, the council confirmed appointments to its committees, outside bodies, and the positions of Chairs and Vice-Chairs for the 2026-2027 municipal year. The Labour group was allocated the chairs of the Audit and Standards Committee and the Licensing Committee, while the Conservative group was allocated the chairs of the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee and the Audit and Standards Advisory Committee. The Liberal Democrats were allocated the chairs of the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee and the Planning Committee. The Green group was allocated the chair of the Corporate Parenting Committee. The report also noted that the Brent Connects committees for Kilburn, Kingsbury and Kenton, and Wembley would be left vacant for opposition groups to appoint. An amendment proposed by Councillor Paul Lorber, suggesting alternative appointments for scrutiny committee chairs, was lost.

Calendar of Council Meetings

The council approved the calendar of meetings for the 2026-2027 municipal year. This included scheduled dates for Full Council meetings, Cabinet meetings, and various committee meetings, with efforts made to avoid clashes and accommodate religious festivals and school holidays.

Urgent Business

There was no urgent business raised at the meeting.