Leading Westminster City Council is ‘one of the most interesting jobs in politics' – according to someone who should know. Baroness Couttie took up the post in 2012 after six years on the council and a successful career as an investment banker before that.

But in November, the Baroness – or Philippa Roe as she was when she first took on Westminster – announced she would step down from leading the council this month, just six weeks after taking a seat in the House of Lords. While she initially intended to carry on with both roles, it took just a few weeks to realise the time commitment was too much to do both properly.