Roles and responsibilities
Each Councillor has a duty to the whole of the district and also a special responsibility to constituents in the ward for which they are elected.
What do councillors do?
- Councillors participate in the governance and management of the Council
- They attend meetings and take part in the Council's work, for example, through the decisions taken at Council meetings
- Councillors represent their communities and bring community views into the Council's decision making process
- They represent the interests of their ward and of individual constituents, including investigating concerns raised by constituents and acting as the representative of any individual constituent
- Councillors balance different interests within the ward and represent the ward as a whole
- They may be appointed to represent the Council on other bodies?
Some elected members undertake additional responsibilities and duties to ensure the Council's decisions are robust and transparent and the behaviour of all councillors is appropriate.
Leader of the Council
The Leader of the Council is
Councillor Peter Box who is elected by all members of the Council at the annual Council meeting. The Leader chairs the Council's Cabinet meeting and is accountable for proposing and directing the overall strategy, budget and policy arrangements of the Council
It is the responsibility of the Leader to 'lead the Council', build a vision for the district and represent Wakefield at regional and national events. The Leader also provides community leadership to those organisations that work closely with the Council. Visit the
Wakefield Together website to find out more about how the Council works in partnership with other organisations.
Cabinet Member
The Cabinet is chaired by the Leader of the council. The Cabinet is responsible for taking most of the day to day decisions of the council on matters known as Executive Functions.
The members of the Cabinet are called portfolio holders and each has responsibility for certain areas of activity. There are currently seven Portfolio Holders, each with a deputy.
| |
Cabinet member |
Cabinet Assistants |
Leader of Wakefield Council | Cllr Peter Box | |
Economic Growth and Regeneration | Cllr Denise Jeffery
(also Deputy Leader) | Cllr Darren Byford |
Transport and Highways | Cllr Matthew Morley | Cllr Jessica Carrington |
Culture, Leisure and Sport | Cllr Jacquie Speight | Cllr Richard Taylor |
Adults and Health | Cllr Pat Garbutt | Cllr Faith Heptinstall |
Children and Young People | Cllr Mrs Isherwood | Cllr Richard Forster |
Communities and Environment | Cllr Maureen Cummings | Cllr Martyn Ward |
Corporate Services | Cllr Les Shaw | Cllr Michael Graham |
View Cabinet meetings, agendas and minutes
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition acts as the principal spokesperson for the main Opposition Group of and represents the views of the Group on issues of policy and priority.
Remuneration (allowances & expenses)
Councillors are not paid a salary or wages but they are entitled to allowances and expenses to cover some of the costs of carrying out their public duties. Monthly spreadsheets of these payments are available on the
Councillors' Allowances and Expenses page.
Standards of Conduct
All councillors abide by a Code of Conduct which sets out the standards of behaviour that are expected and requires them to declare any financial interests, gifts or hospitality that could influence any decisions they make. The Code of Conduct is overseen by the Council's Standards Committee. If you have a complaint against a Councillor please contact Committee Services for more help and information.