The Leader of the Council is the leader of the majority political group (the group in power) and he or she provides the political leadership of the council. The Leader appoints the members of the Cabinet, including the Deputy Leader, and chairs and manages the Cabinet's business and work programme. The Leader has his/her own areas of responsibility, which includes council policy and strategy. The Leader is elected for a four year term at the first annual meeting of Full Council, following the district-wide election.
The Leader articulates the political reasoning behind council decisions and represents the political face of the authority. The Leader, as the foremost politician, has close working relationships with the Chief Executive and other members of the council's Corporate Leadership Team.
The Deputy Leader of the Council is also the Deputy Leader of the majority group and takes on a full deputising role in the absence of the Leader of the Council. The Deputy Leader is also a member of the Cabinet with his/her own areas of responsibility. The Deputy Leader shares and supports the workload of the Leader of the Council and undertakes such duties or responsibilities as requested.