Cabinet is responsible for taking most of the important decisions affecting the work of the County Council, except those decisions that have been delegated to the six local committees.  Following the Couny Council elections on 4th May 2017, the new Leader of the Council announced his Cabinet at the Council's Annual Meeting held in Kendal on 29th June 2017.

Councillor Stewart Young (Labour) - Leader of the Council

Councillor Stewart Young

Responsibilities:

  • Strategic overview

  • Corporate Governance

  • Key external relations

  • Communications

  • Health and Wellbeing Board

Contact details for Stewart Young

Councillor Peter Thornton (Liberal Democrat) - Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance

Councillor Peter Thornton

Responsibilities:

  • Strategic overview

  • Finance

  • Commissioning and Procurement

  • Enterprise and Innovation

Contact details for Peter Thornton

Councillor Anne Burns (Labour) - Children`s Services (Statutory Lead Member for Children`s Services)

Councillor Anne Burns

Responsibilities:

  • Children and Families

  • Early Help and Partnerships

Contact details for Anne Burns

Councillor Sue Sanderson (Liberal Democrat) - Schools and Learning

Councillor Sue Sanderson

Responsibilities:

  • Schools and Learning

  • Inclusion

Contact details for Sue Sanderson

Councillor Keith Little (Labour) - Highways and Transport

Councillor Keith Little

Responsibilities:

  • Highways

  • Transport

  • Fleet

  • Flood protection

  • Windermere Ferry

Contact details for Keith Little

Councillor Patricia Bell (Liberal Democrat) - Health and Care Services

Councillor Philip Chappelhow

Responsibilities:  

Social Care

  • Older adults

  • Physical disabilities

  • Learning disabilities

  • Mental health

  • Cumbria Care

Contact details for Patricia Bell

Councillor Deborah Earl (Labour) - Public Health and Community Services

Councillor Deborah Earl

Responsibilities:

  • Public Health

  • Local Committees

  • Libraries and Archives

  • Registrars

  • Adult and Community learning

  • Active Cumbria

  • Welfare

Contact details for Deborah Earl

Councillor David Southward MBE (Labour) - Economic Development and Property

Councillor David Southward

Responsibilities:

  • Economic Development

  • Connecting Cumbria

  • Nuclear related issues

  • Property

  • Skills

  • Port of Workington

Contact details for David Southward MBE

Celia Tibble (Labour) - Environment

Councillor Celia Tibble

Responsibilities:

  • Environment

  • Planning

  • Waste

  • Trading Standards

  • Energy Efficiency

  • Countryside Access

  • Coroners

  • Health and Safety

Contact details for Celia Tibble

Janet Willis (Liberal Democrat) - Customers, Transformation and Fire and Rescue

Janet Willis

Responsibilities:

  • Customer Services

  • IT and Digital Transformation

  • Organisational Change

  • People Management

  • Member Development

  • Community Safety

  • Fire and Rescue Services 

  • Resilience Planning 

Contact Details for Janet Willis