Cabinet and key members
The Cabinet is the part of Shropshire County Council which is responsible for most day-to-day decisions. The Cabinet is currently made up of the Leader of the Council, Malcolm Pate, and eight Cabinet members.
The members of Shropshire County Council's Cabinet (pictured), and the areas for which they are responsible, are:
Back row (left-right):
Gerald Dakin - Community Safety
John-Hurst Knight - Waste and Economy
John Everall - Environment and Sustainability
Michael Owen - Community Well-being
Peter Nutting - Performance
Front row (left-right):
Ann Hartley (Deputy Leader) - Children's Services
Malcolm Pate (Leader of the Council) - Corporate Policy/Resources
Barbara Craig - Community Services
Not pictured
Joyce Barrow - Human Resources
Other key members of the Council are:
Brian Gillow OBE, Chairman of the Council
Brian Williams, Speaker and Vice Chairman of the Council
For more information about each member, please follow the appropriate link at the bottom of this page.
The Cabinet meets monthly and its meetings are open to the public. You can ask questions or make a short statement, provided you let us know first. Please see the Public question time link for more details.
The role of Cabinet
Cabinet's primary roles are to lead in the preparation of the Council's policies and budget, to lead the community planning process and to ensure the attainment of best value. A full list of its functions can be found in the County Council's constitution.
The Cabinet has to make decisions which are in line with the council's overall policies and budget. If it wishes to make a decision which is outside the budget or policy framework, this must be referred to the Council to decide.
Decisions made by the Cabinet are subject to 'call-in'. This is where members who are not part of the Cabinet are given the opportunity to challenge a decision made by the executive (Cabinet). If this happens, the Cabinet may have to reconsider its decision.
The Cabinet also publishes a forward plan which contains:
- a list of key decisions that Cabinet is likely to take in the following four months
- how and with whom consultation takes place on those matters before the decision is taken
- the expected date of the meeting that the decision will be taken at; and
- the steps to be taken by anyone who wants to make representations to the Cabinet about this matter
To view the forward plan, decisions list and constitution please follow the Council meetings and decisions link.
