A NEW cabinet has been appointed at Sandwell Council following this month’s elections. 

The new-look cabinet was confirmed by Sandwell Council’s ruling Labour leader Cllr Kerrie Carmichael at a meeting in Oldbury on Tuesday night.

The cabinet reshuffle by Labour council leader Kerrie Carmichael was made following local elections held on May 2 which saw the party strengthen its already tight grip on the authority – winning 22 of the 24 seats available.

Sandwell veteran councillor Cllr Simon Hackett, who has held the portfolio for children’s services for the last 11 years has been dropped from the cabinet and replaced by Cllr Jalal Uddin.

Another long-standing Labour councillor Bob Piper, who held the council’s key financial portfolio for the last two years, has also been removed from the cabinet with Cllr Paul Moore taking over alongside the statutory deputy leader role. Cllr Moore has previously chaired the council’s budget and corporate scrutiny management board.

Both the former cabinet members were not present at Tuesday’s full council meeting – the first since the ballots were held earlier this month.

Cllr Carmichael, who was re-elected in Blackheath earlier this month, confirmed the appointments at the full council meeting on Tuesday but offered no comment.

Cllr Keith Allcock replaces Cllr Danny Millard as cabinet member for environment and highways.

Elsewhere, Cllr Sukhbir Gill is a new appointment as cabinet member for business and skills. 

Cllr Suzanne Hartwell becomes cabinet member for neighbourhoods and community – moving from a previous role with the health and social care portfolio. 

Cllr Jackie Taylor, who last chaired the economy, skills, transport and environment scrutiny board, takes over as cabinet member for adult services, health and wellbeing. 

Cllr Peter Hughes, who was re-elected earlier this month in Wednesbury North, keeps the cabinet role for regeneration and infrastructure.

Forced changes saw Laura Rollins, who stepped away from the council in May and did not stand for re-election, replaced with Cllr Vicki Smith.

Cllr Smith is the Labour parliamentary candidate for Wyre Forest in Worcestershire having failed in a bid to represent the party in Stourbridge.

Labour’s Charn Singh Padda, who was the cabinet member for leisure and tourism, lost the Tipton Green seat earlier this month. Cllr Syeda Khatun, who was cabinet member for public health and communities, who becomes the borough’s first citizen as mayor of Sandwell for the next 12 months, relinquishes the cabinet role.