Claire Holland (politician)

Claire Kathleen Holland (born 7 June 1964) is a British Labour politician who has been currently serving as the local Councillor for Oval ward since 2014, and the Leader of Lambeth Council since 2 June 2021, following the resignation of her ward colleague Cllr Jack Hopkins, Cllr Holland was appointed Leader on a platform to fight for climate justice. In July 2024, Holland was elected as Chair of London Councils, a cross-party organisation that represents all the boroughs across Greater London. In September 2024, Holland was elected onto the as the Local Government Representive, this Committee is the governing body of the Party.
Prior to becoming Leader of Lambeth Council in 2021, Cllr Holland, was Deputy Leader since 2019 and served as the portfolio holder for Sustainable Transport, Environment & Clean Air. Before taking up her cabinet role, she was Deputy Cabinet Member for Children & Schools, with a primary focus on schools.
In 2019, the pro-Brexit Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP), Kate Hoey announced she will not be restanding as a MP, she had been for Vauxhall since the 1989 Vauxhall by-election. Holland tried to become the prospective parliamentary candidate but lost out to Florence Eshalomi, who has been serving as Vauxhall's and now Vauxhall and Camberwell Green's MP since 2019 general election.
In response to the , Cllr Claire Holland, as Leader of Lambeth Council, issued a formal apology on behalf of the council in 2021. She acknowledged the council’s historic failures in protecting children, describing the findings as "deeply shocking and shameful," and committed to ensuring that such abuses could never happen again.
In 2024, Cllr Claire Holland, Chair of London Council, has highlighted the severe challenges facing local governments, citing an unprecedented rise in demand due to a housing crisis, public health issues, and social care demands, all exacerbated by years of austerity. Holland emphasises that the financial situation for boroughs is dire, with rising service costs and underfunding threatening budgets. Despite the bleak outlook, she is committed to collaborating with the government for better solutions.
In February 2025, Cllr Claire Holland expressed deep concern over the increasing reliance on Exceptional Financial Support among English councils, highlighting that nearly a quarter of London boroughs required emergency borrowing to maintain essential services. She attributed this crisis to over a decade of structural underfunding, escalating costs, and rising demand for services. Holland emphasised that such financial pressures jeopardise the sustainability of local services and called for comprehensive reforms to address the underlying issues affecting council finances.
Prior to entering politics, Holland was a practicing solicitor, working in family law. She has lived in Lambeth since 1995, where she has raised her two sons and prior to being elected as a councillor and was Chair of Governors at Ashmole Primary School in Oval.<ref name=":0" />

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