Editing Executive arrangements (section)

===Committee system===
Under the [[Localism Act 2011]], principal authorities (such as unitary authorities, county councils, and district councils) were allowed to return to decision-making by committees, the method of local government administration for all councils prior to 2000. Under this model power is exercised, alongside full council, by a number of committees, made up of councillors in proportion to their parties' representation on the council. Such councils may choose to nominate a councillor as Leader of the Council for the purposes of representing the political leadership of the council, particularly in relations with external bodies. If no leader is nominated, as was the case prior to 2000, the chair of the council's main policy committee may be informally deemed to be the council's de facto leader.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gavaghan |first1=Carl |title=John Clark, 'leader' of Ryedale Council and a politician for 40 years, dies in hospital |url=https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/politics/john-clark-leader-of-ryedale-council-and-a-politician-for-40-years-dies-in-hospital-3346402 |access-date=19 June 2022 |work=Scarborough News |date=13 August 2021 |quote=Cllr Clark was the chairman of Ryedale Council's Policy and Resources Committee, which made him the de facto leader of the authority after councillors chose not to elect a councillor to the official role of leader.}}</ref>