The Leader is the political head of the Council, while the Lord Provost is the civic head. The Leader is elected by the members of the majority party, currently Labour. Since 2005, the Leader has been Councillor Steven Purcell.
The Executive Committee consists of senior councillors who determine the Council’s strategic management and policy development. There are also 10 Policy Development and Scrutiny Committees which monitor the performance of the Executive Committee and of their relevant service area.
The Leader is a central figure in the Council’s relationships with the governments in London and Edinburgh and its various public and private sector partners.
He is supported in his role by the Deputy Leader, who acts as Vice Convener of the Executive Committee. The current Deputy Leader is Councillor James Coleman.