The leader of the council is appointed by the council for a 4 year term of office, subject to either:

• resigning from the office
• ‘retiring’ as a member (as any councillor must do when their term of office is over prior to seeking re-election)
• being removed from the office of leader by the full council

On appointment by the council, the leader determines the executive arrangements for the council. These comprise of the:

• appointment of the cabinet
• appointment of one of those cabinet members as deputy leader of the council
• allocation of a portfolio of responsibility to those cabinet members (cabinet members as sometimes referred to as ‘portfolio holders’)
• allocation of delegated powers to cabinet members and officers

Current leader

The current leader of BCP Council is Councillor Millie Earl.

The leader is responsible for the overall strategy of the council.