Labour has welcomed two new spokespeople to the group and confirmed the senior positions within the party.

Underhill ward councillor Paul Edwards has been appointed new lead on housing, while Burnt Oak councillor Sara Conway is the new lead on community leadership and libraries.

Councillor Barry Rawlings will continue as leader, and cllr Ross Houston will serve as deputy leader.

Cllr Conway said: “Community leadership covers a range of important responsibilities for the care of our communities and I’m pleased to bring considerable experience from the charity sector, on interfaith, and community-building to this role and a great Labour team.

“We will work with the council and key stakeholders wherever possible, but also provide scrutiny, particularly given what has happened to our libraries, and be a voice for vulnerable groups across our borough who will be looking to the new administration for support.”

The other senior positions within the group are as follows:

Chair: Cllr Claire Farrier

Vice-chair: Cllr Zakia Zubairi

Chief whip: Cllr Geof Cooke

Labour group secretary: Cllr Arjun Mittra

Labour group treasurer: Cllr Kathy Levine

The remaining spokespeople are:

Policy and resources spokesperson: Cllr Barry Rawlings

Assets, regeneration and growth spokesperson: Cllr Ross Houston

Children, education and safeguarding spokesperson: Cllr Pauline Coakley Webb

Adults and safeguarding spokesperson: Cllr Jess Brayne

Environment spokesperson: Cllr Alan Schneiderman

Financial performance and contracts spokesperson: Cllr Kathy Levine

Health spokesperson: Cllr Anne Hutton

Cllr Rawlings said: “I would like to thank my Labour Group colleagues for their support, and welcome two new spokespersons to our top team – Cllr Paul Edwards as our new lead on housing, and Cllr Sara Conway as our new lead on community leadership and libraries.

“Our deputy leader, Cllr Ross Houston, will now lead on assets, growth and regeneration, holding the Conservatives to account for their failure to deliver enough affordable housing.

“We will be scrutinising the Conservatives’ management of the council, publicising where they fall short and suggesting alternatives to improve things in the borough.

“We will start with the ongoing fiasco at the Oakleigh Depot, which has resulted in missed bin collections across the Borough for several weeks – despite a key election pledge from the Conservatives to maintain weekly collections – and is still not resolved.

“We are calling for an inquiry into what has gone wrong with the construction of the new depot – residents deserve to know the truth.”