Agenda item
ELECTION OF CHAIR OF COUNCIL
To elect a Councillor to serve as the Chair of Council until the Annual Council Meeting in May 2012.
(Note: Section 4 and Schedule 2 of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, provide that the election of the Chair 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 that s/he may have.)
Decision:
DECISION
That Councillor Mizanur Chaudhury be elected to hold office as Chair of Council until the Annual Meeting of the Council in May 2012.
(Action by: John S. Williams, Service Head, Democratic Services)
Minutes:
The Chair of Council, Councillor Motin Uz-Zaman, in the Chair
CHAIR’S OPENING ADDRESS
The Chair of Council, Councillor Motin Uz-Zaman, welcomed all present to the Annual Meeting of the Council.
Councillor Uz-Zaman addressed the meeting about his year in office. He said that it had been a privilege to serve first as Mayor and then as Chair of Tower Hamlets Council. There had been many highlights during his term of office and his charity account had raised approximately £43,000 for the two nominated charities, the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) and the Thesis Trust.
Councillor Uz-Zaman thanked his wife and family for their support during his term of office and also thanked the officers including the Members Services and Facilities Teams and in particular Mrs Attawia, the Chair’s Office Manager and Mr Wasilka, his Chauffeur and Attendant, for their excellent assistance at all times during the year.
Councillor Joshua Peck paid tribute to Councillor Uz-Zaman on behalf of the Council and thanked him for the excellent manner in which he had discharged his duties. Councillor Peter Golds and Councillor Fozol Miah also addressed the meeting and echoed Councillor Peck’s comments.
The Chair then called for nominations to serve as Chair of Tower Hamlets Council for the coming year.
It was MOVED by Councillor Joshua Peck, SECONDED by Councillor Anna Lynch and
RESOLVED
That Councillor Mizanur Chaudhury be elected to hold office as Chair of Council until the Annual Meeting of the Council in May 2012.
Councillor Joshua Peck and Councillor Anna Lynch then came forward to witness the Chair of Council signing the statutory declaration of acceptance of office.
The Chair of Council, Councillor Mizanur Chaudhury, in the Chair
The incoming Chair of Council then addressed the meeting. He paid tribute to Councillor Uz-Zaman and thanked Members of the Council for electing him as Chair, a role that he was honoured to accept and which he would endeavour to carry out to the best of his ability. As a relatively new councillor and one of the youngest to hold this position in Tower Hamlets, Councillor Chaudhury hoped that his election would act as a catalyst for the younger generation in the borough to come forward and play an active role in politics.
Councillor Chaudhury stated that the effects of the recession were being felt by all in the borough and it was more important than ever to work together to create opportunities in education, employment and housing for every member of the community and to foster an inclusive society where discrimination had no place.
The Chair felt that Tower Hamlets was an amazing borough which made history culturally and politically and where generations of people from across the world had chosen to start new lives. During his year of office he intended to encourage community engagement and work to build respect and harmony across age and cultural divides.
Councillor Chaudhury informed the Council that he had chosen two charities to support during his term. These were Futureversity, a dynamic, youth-led organisation which offered inspiring courses to 11-25 years to develop their skills and self-belief and had gained recognition locally and nationally as a model of good practice in the field of study support; and City Gateway, an organisation providing training and events for young people and women in Tower Hamlets aimed at overcoming barriers to employment and promoting community activity. The Chair sought the support of the Council and stated that by helping the nominated charities they would be helping the residents of the borough. He looked forward to working with all councillors to achieve the vision of a prosperous and united community.