To elect a Councillor to serve as Speaker of the Council for the municipal year 2023/24 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 they may have).

 

The Speaker of the Council, Councillor Shafi Ahmed addressed the meeting about his time in office.

 

He thanked the Council, the Mayor, and elected Members for giving him the opportunity to serve as First Citizen of the Borough since May 2022.

 

He noted that he had made every effort to carry out his duties in a fair and impartial way, shining a light on the borough by bringing positivity and enthusiasm to the role.

 

His chosen charity for which he had fundraised for, was the Tower Project, which provides support to families with autistic children. He said the charity dinner event held in December 2022 had raised almost £20,000, despite this being a scaled-back event owing to the cost-of-living crisis.

 

Councillor Ahmed said he was honoured to serve as Speaker which was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  He said of the many occasions and events he had attended the most memorable ones were:

 

·       The late Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, which was followed a few months later with the sad news of Her Majesty passing away.

·       The proclamation of the new King.

·       The new King and Queen’s visit to the Borough of Tower Hamlets

·       Attending the Coronation Garden Tea Party; and

·       Taking part in Citizenship ceremonies welcoming new citizens to the borough.

 

 

He said the Civic Awards held at the beginning of May 2023 were a resounding success and reminded everyone that nominations of next year’s awards would open later in the year. He said he was privileged to be the last Speaker of the old Town Hall as well as the new Speaker of the Whitechapel Town Hall, especially as a local resident and Whitechapel ward councillor.

 

He thanked his Consorts for their support before expressing his condolences to the family of Suma Begum who had been tragically murdered.

 

He also thanked the Democratic Services Team for their unequivocal support and said he looked forward to serving his constituents and spending more time with his family.

 

Following the Speaker’s address, the following Councillors addressed the meeting:

 

·       Councillor Maium Talukdar

·       Councillor Kabir Ahmed

·       Councillor Sirajul Islam

·       Councillor Bodrul Choudhury

·       Councillor Abdal Ullah

·       Councillor Gulam Kibria Choudhury

·       Councillor Shahaveer Shubo Hussain

·       Councillor Iqbal Hossain

·       Councillor Ayas Miah

·       Councillor Abdul Wahid

·       Councillor Mufeedah Bustin

·       Councillor Saif Uddin Khaled

·       Councillor Peter Golds

·       Councillor Amin Rahman

·       Councillor Harun Miah

·       Councillor Suluk Ahmed

·       Councillor Kabir Hussain

·       Councillor Kamrul Hussain

·       Councillor Abdul Mannan

·       Councillor Ohid Ahmed

·       Councillor Musthak Ahmed and

·       Mayor Lutfur Rahman

 

The Councillors praised Councillor Shafi Ahmed for his great personality, showmanship, and magnanimous attitude in overseeing Council meetings and for being an excellent role model for the community. They were in awe of his charitable work and the significant amount of money he had raised for charity.

 

The Councillors thanked the Speaker for all his good work and his service to the Borough during his term. They wished him well for the future.

 

ELECTION OF NEW SPEAKER

 

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

 

 

The following nomination was proposed:

 

It was moved by Councillor Maium Talukdar and seconded by Councillor Kabir Ahmed that Councillor Jahed Choudhury be elected to serve as Speaker of the Council until May 2024.

 

The nomination to elect Councillor Jahed Choudhury to serve as Speaker of the Council was put to the vote and was agreed on a majority vote.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    That Councillor Jahed Choudhury be elected to serve as Speaker of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council until the Annual Council Meeting in May 2024.

 

Councillor Maium Talukdar and Councillor Kabir Ahmed then came forward to witness the Speaker of the Council signing the statutory declaration of acceptance of office.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 19:49 and reconvened at 20:04.

 

The Speaker of the Council, Councillor Jahed Choudhury in the Chair

 

The incoming Speaker, Councillor Jahed Choudhury thanked the Council for electing him as Speaker and congratulated the outgoing speaker on a successful term in office. He said he had been a fair and effective speaker. He thanked the Mayor and fellow councillors for electing him for the year ahead.

 

 

To support the Speaker in his role, he would be accompanied by his consorts:

 

·       Miss Maria Sultana Choudhury.

·       Mr Asfar Uddin; and

·       Mr Abdul Alim 

 

The new speaker noted the residents of the borough were facing a difficult time, with the cost-of-living crisis and said it was more important than ever to work together to ensure residents were supported by creating opportunities for them through education and employment.

 

He expressed his sadness for hate crime perpetrated against three residents of the borough and said he wanted to ensure Tower Hamlets was a safe place for all to live, work and travel. He said he looked forward to working with everyone by fostering a positive attitude and collaborating for the good of the residents.

 

The Speaker of the Council expressed his condolences at the passing of Ms Jackie Odunoye, former director of housing who had passed away a few days before. He said that Ms Odunoye has worked for Tower Hamlets for many years before moving to Redbridge Council. She was a popular and well-respected officer. He asked that Council observe a minutes’ silence in her honour.

 

 

The following Councillors also expressed their condolences especially as they had the good fortune of working with Ms Odunoye:

 

·       Councillor Rachel Blake

·       Councillor Ohid Ahmed

·       Councillor Marc Frances

·       Councillor Sirajul Islam; and

·       Mayor Lutfur Rahman.

 

Finally, the Speaker stated his chosen charities were Eden Care UK and St Joseph’s Hospice. He explained both charities worked to provide compassionate care and support for people living with life limiting illnesses.