MHCLG allows councils to retain committee system “under strict conditions”

Local government secretary Steve Reed has announced that councils already operating the committee system will be permitted to continue doing so under specific conditions, following a major amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

The government had previously proposed abolishing the committee model in favour of a uniform cabinet system across England. Ministers argued that a streamlined executive model would improve accountability and efficiency. However, Reed’s amendment—tabled on 25 November—marks a significant reversal, allowing councils that adopted the committee system before the Bill’s commencement, or through a referendum within the past decade, to retain it.

Under the revised provisions, councils must demonstrate that the committee system remains effective and transparent. The amendment sets out safeguards requiring regular review and compliance with governance standards, ensuring that the model continues to deliver clear decision-making and public accountability.

Sector bodies such as the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny welcomed the change, noting that the committee system can foster consensus and cross-party collaboration. The Local Government Association had previously warned that abolishing the model entirely would undermine local choice and ignore successful examples in cities such as Sheffield and Bristol, where councillors and residents campaigned strongly for retention.

The amendment—numbered 152 in the parliamentary papers—was formally introduced by Reed in his capacity as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. It signals the government’s willingness to compromise on governance reforms, balancing its drive for consistency with recognition of local democratic preferences.