Kingston Council's Corporate and Resources Committee has opted to maintain the status quo regarding the designation of the Leader of the Opposition, following an unprecedented equal split between the two minority opposition parties after the May 2026 elections.

The committee, meeting on Thursday, 25 June 2026, considered how to address this scenario, which is not explicitly covered by the Council's Constitution. The decision to stick with the existing arrangements means the two opposition groups – the Conservatives and the Kingston Independent Residents' Group (KIRG) – must now find a way to agree amongst themselves who will hold the role.

Councillor James Giles, Leader of KIRG, had argued for a proportional allocation of the Leader of the Opposition role. He stressed the importance of a functioning opposition, stating, any administration does need an opposition and that it was remiss that there are not currently opposition spokespeople. Giles proposed a joint allocation of the role in the event of a tie in group sizes, with the associated Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) being split. This, he argued, would ensure both the Conservatives are able to be as effective as they can in holding the administration to account and ensure, of course, that our group can be as effective as it can in holding the administration to account.

However, the administration, represented by Councillor Andreas Kirsch, favoured the status quo option. They believed the current constitution was sufficient and that it was for the two opposition parties to under our constitution to find a solution.

The Council's Constitution outlines that the Leader of the Opposition is selected by a majority of the members of the Council who do not form the Administration. Procedure Rule 19 specifically states that these members may, from time to time, select one of their number who shall be known as the 'Leader of the Opposition whose name shall be notified to the Monitoring Officer who shall report it to the Council. However, the report acknowledges that the constitution does not specify what will happen if this is not agreed between those persons, leading to the current deadlock.

Councillor Giles voiced concerns about the implications of this deadlock for the effectiveness of the opposition. He highlighted the absence of designated opposition spokespeople for key areas such as council housing, noting that this lack of a focal point hinders effective scrutiny. He reiterated the need to make sure that any administration... does have an opposition, however small it may be.

This situation, where an equal split between minority opposition parties has created a deadlock in designating a Leader of the Opposition, appears to be a scenario not previously encountered in Kingston Council's history.

Further details on the committee's decisions can be found in the Decisions document. The full public reports pack and the agenda frontsheet are also available.