Agenda item
TO ELECT THE LEADER AND DEPUTY LEADER OF THE COUNCIL
Decision:
DECISION
1) Councillor Lutfur Rahman elected as Leader of the Council, until the Annual Meeting of the Council in 2009; and
2) Councillor Sirajul Islam elected as Deputy Leader of the Council, until the Annual Meeting of the Council in 2009
(Action by Service Head Democratic Services)
Minutes:
(a) Election of Leader
Councillor Denise Jones addressed the meeting and referred to some of the successes and achievements of the borough and of the Council and the Tower Hamlets Partnership during her two years as Leader of the Council. Councillor Jones expressed her pride at having the opportunity to serve the people of Tower Hamlets in that capacity and thanked Members and officers for their support.
Moved by Councillor Denise Jones and Seconded by Councillor Carli Harper-Penman that Councillor Lutfur Rahman be nominated to serve as Leader of the Council.
Moved as an amendment by Councillor Peter Golds and Seconded by Councillor Shirley Houghton that, in accordance with Procedure Rules 14.1.14 and 27, the Council Procedure Rules be suspended to enable a secret ballot to be held for the appointment of the Leader of the Council.
The Service Head, Democratic Services advised that Council Procedure Rule 17.3, which required the Mayor to take the vote by a show of hands or recorded vote, was not one of the Procedure Rules that could be suspended under Rule 27 and the amendment proposed could therefore not stand.
Moved by Councillor Shirley Houghton and Seconded by Councillor Peter Golds that Councillor Denise Jones be nominated to serve as Leader of the Council.
Councillor Denise Jones declined to stand for election.
The Mayor then put the remaining nomination to the vote and it was
RESOLVED that Councillor Lutfur Rahman be elected as Leader of the Council until the Annual Meeting of the Council in 2009.
Councillor Lutfur Rahman thanked the Members of the Council. He stated that he was honoured to be elected as Leader of the Authority and looked forward to carrying out his duties and responsibilities on behalf of the people of Tower Hamlets, working with Councillors and officers of the Authority to the benefit of the borough.
Councillor Rahman thanked the outgoing Mayor for her tireless work on behalf of the borough over the past year and congratulated Councillor Salique and Councillor Omer on their election as Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively for 2008/09.
Finally Councillor Rahman thanked Councillor Denise Jones for her nomination and for her work over the past two years as Leader of the Council. Councillor Rahman was pleased to inform Members that Councillor Jones had accepted his invitation to assist him as required as a Champion for the Olympics in the borough in the lead up to 2012.
(b) Election of Deputy Leader
Moved by Councillor Lutfur Rahman and Seconded by Councillor Carli Harper-Penman that Councillor Sirajul Islam be nominated to serve as Deputy Leader of the Council.
Moved by Councillor Peter Golds and Seconded by Councillor Shirley Houghton that Councillor Helal Abbas be nominated to serve as Deputy Leader of the Council.
Councillor Helal Abbas declined to stand for election.
The Mayor then put the remaining nomination to the vote and it was
RESOLVED that Councillor Sirajul Islam be elected as Deputy Leader of the Council until the Annual Meeting of the Council in 2009.