To elect a Councillor to serve as Speaker of the Council for the municipal year 2019/20 or until a successor is appointed, whichever is the sooner.

(Note: Section 4 and Schedule 2 of the Local Government Act 1972 provide that the election of the chairman (which post the Council has resolved to title ‘Speaker’ in Tower Hamlets) shall be the first item of business transacted at the Annual Meeting of the Council and that in the case of an equality of votes, the person presiding at the meeting shall give a casting vote in addition to any vote s/he may have).

The Speaker of the Council, Councillor Ayas Miah addressed the meeting about his year of office.  He thanked Mayor John Biggs and Councillors for giving him this opportunity.

He had the honour of attending and supporting a range of events and activities providing opportunities to promote the Borough and bring the community together. Some of the highlights included:

•           Cultural events including the local Mela and an Arts and Music Education concert at Queen Mary College.

•           A commemorative event marking the Victory Day of Bangladesh.

•           A visit to Bangladesh to meet many dignitaries including the Prime Minister.

•           Visits by high profile guests including: the new Bangladesh High Commissioner, the King of the Ashanti, and several members of the Royal Family.

•           A British – Irish Assembly meeting held in Canary Wharf for discussions on a number of important issues.

•           Becoming a Dementia Friend.

•           The LBTH Civic Awards to pay tribute to the hard work of residents.

He was pleased to say that he held a very successful Charity Ball in December in Canary Wharf and a charity curry night. He thanked all of the people and organisations who supported these events especially the sponsors for each.

The Speaker was pleased to announce that he had raised in the region of £50,000 for his Charities:

•           St. Hilda’s East Community Centre

•           Sporting Foundation

•           Dorset Community Association

•           Limehouse Project

He stated that he had been very proud to Chair the Full Council meetings and it was an honour to represent this Borough. He also thanked Officers especially Patricia Attawia (Personal Assistant to The Speaker) and Danny Bodle (Speaker’s Attendant) for all their help and support.

Following the Speaker’s address, Mayor John Biggs addressed the meeting. He thanked Councillor Miah for his service, as Speaker of the Council, over the year. He reported that Councillor Miah had performed his duties with great dignity, loyalty and perseverance and had provided leadership to the community.  He had worked hard to serve everyone in the borough and support community cohesion.

Councillors Mohammed Ahbab Hossain, Abdal Ullah and Denise Jones echoed the above points. They thanked Councillor Miah for acting as such a positive ambassador for the Borough and for all that he had achieved over the year, particularly his work with young people and schools and successful fund raising activities. They stated that his fundraising work would make a huge difference to his charities.

The Speaker then called for nominations to serve as Speaker of the Council for the coming year.

It was moved by Mayor John Biggs, seconded by Councillor Asma Islam, and unanimously:

RESOLVED

1.         That Councillor Victoria Obaze be elected to serve as Speaker of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council until the Annual Council Meeting in May 2020.

Mayor John Biggs and Councillor Asma Islam then came forward to witness the Speaker of the Council signing the statutory declaration of acceptance of office.

The meeting was adjourned at 7.00pm and reconvened at 7.10pm.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1

To elect a Councillor to serve as Speaker of the Council for the municipal year 2018/19 or until a successor is appointed, whichever is the sooner.

(Note: Section 4 and Schedule 2 of the Local Government Act 1972 provide that the election of the chairman (which post the Council has resolved to title ‘Speaker’ in Tower Hamlets) shall be the first item of business transacted at the Annual Meeting of the Council and that in the case of an equality of votes, the person presiding at the meeting shall give a casting vote in addition to any vote s/he may have).

The Speaker of the Council, Sabina Akhtar addressed the meeting about her year of office.  She thanked Mayor John Biggs and Councillors for giving her this opportunity. She congratulated Councillor Ayas Miah on his nomination as the new Speaker of the Council and wished him the very best for the year ahead.

She stated that she had the honour of attending over 300 engagements and had made every effort to visit groups rather than invite them to the Town Hall to see their work.

Some of the highlights included:

·         A visit to Bangladesh to meet local dignitaries including the Prime Minister and the President.

·         A Royal Gun Salute at Buckingham Palace to mark the state visit of the King and Queen of Spain.

·         Celebration event to mark the return of the Old Flo statue to the borough.

·         Citizenship ceremonies. 

·         A very memorable visit to Richard House that supported vulnerable people in society.

·         Fundraising activities in support of the Annual Poppy Appeal.

·         Army engagements and sporting events including the Great River Race.

·         A commemoration event to name a boat ‘Speaker Sabina’.

With reference to her focus on young people, she reported that she had the honour of engaging with them in a variety of ways from school visits and achievement ceremonies, to sports and cultural events, speaking challenges and local democracy week.

She was pleased to say that she held a very successful Charity Ball in December. She thanked all of the people and organisations who supported this event, in particular the Canary Wharf Group and MEARS who were the main sponsors. 

Following the Speaker’s address, Councillors Peter Golds, Asma Islam and Candida Ronald thanked Councillor Akhtar for all she had achieved in her year in office as the first female Bengali Speaker of the Council. They praised in particular the personal qualities she had brought to the role and her ability to chair Council meetings effectively. 

Mayor John Biggs also addressed the meeting. He echoed the above sentiments. He added that it was great to see a young person take up the role of Speaker of the Council and hoped that she would inspire others to step forward for public office.

The Speaker then called for nominations to serve as Speaker of the Council for the coming year.

It was moved by Mayor John Biggs, seconded by Councillor Asma Begum, and unanimously:

RESOLVED

1.            That Councillor Ayas Miah be elected to serve as Speaker of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council until the Annual Council Meeting in May 2019.

Mayor John Biggs and Councillor Asma Begum then came forward to witness the Speaker of the Council signing the statutory declaration of acceptance of office.

The meeting was adjourned at 7.50pm and reconvened at 7.55pm.

The Speaker of the Council, Councillor Ayas Miah in the Chair

The incoming Speaker, Councillor Ayas Miah thanked the Council for electing him as Speaker. He congratulated Councillor Sabina Akhtar for a successful year in office and her hard work over the last year on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1