To debate a Motion submitted by the Administration in accordance with Rules 11 and 13 of the Council’s Constitution. The debate will last for a maximum of 30 minutes.

 

Administration Motion regarding the future of Tower Hamlets Council

 

Mayor John Biggs moved and Councillor Sirajul Islam seconded the motion as printed in the agenda.

 

Councillor Ohid Ahmed moved and Councillor Oliur Rahman seconded the following amendment to the motion to be debated as tabled:

 

This Council notes that:

 

1.    Tower Hamlets Council has emerged from a period of turbulence and chaos which was created by the previous mayor Lutfur Rahman and his administration, many of whom still serve as councillors.

 

2.    The Government had to appointed Commissioners to run services in the wake of Lutfur Rahman’s administration.

 

3.    Since Lutfur Rahman’s removal from office by the Election Court, and the election of Mayor Biggs, Tower Hamlets Council has undergone a significant period of change and improvement which was recognised by the Government who withdrew their Commissioners.

 

4.    Mayor Biggs and his administration have opened up the council’s decision-making process, and we now have a council focussed on the services that residents rely upon rather than a council which Secretary of State Sajid Javid said “had completely lost the trust of its residents” and “was mired in corruption and financial mismanagement”.

 

This Council further notes that:

 

1.    The election court in 2015 ruled that ‘the election of all THF Councillors must be taken to have been achieved with the benefit of the corrupt and illegal practices’.

 

2.    Most of the councillors elected as part of Tower Hamlets First remain on the Council according to the democratic mandate given to them by the people of Tower Hamlets.

 

3.    Tower Hamlets First became splintered into two groups: the ‘Independent Group’ (10 Councillors) and the ‘People’s Alliance of Tower Hamlets’(6 Councillors).

 

4.    The ‘Independent Group’ has now officially registered renamed itself as ‘Aspire’, and has formally recognised registered as a political party with the Electoral Commission.

 

5.    The ‘People’s Alliance of Tower Hamlets’ has now been formally registered as a political party with the Electoral Commission.

 

This Council believes that:

 

1.    The Council has never unanimously stated that it will ensure it does not become chaotic, dysfunctional or riddled with cronyism and corruption under any administration recognised the damage caused by the previous mayor and this motion represents an opportunity for the Council to unanimously declare as such that we will never return to the chaos of the past.

 

2.    The rebranding, or renaming of political groups, or parties or misleading politically convenient statements while in administration  does not absolve them anyone of their responsibility and accountability of their respective record of delivery for residents or indeed hide their previous failings when in office if there were any.

 

This Council further believes that:

 

1.    Most of the above points in the original motion presented by Mayor Biggs are politically motivated opinions by the current Labour Mayor and his Group. Council therefore notes the following sample of important factors that have been ignored by the current Mayor to clarify the Council’s recent record:

 

a.    Before 2015 Mayor John Biggs himself stated that Tower Hamlets was generally a ‘well run borough’ and many Council achievements were recognised nationally including by government such as on housebuilding.

 

b.    Figures from across the political and social spectrum have cast doubt on the merit of the civil election court judgements and indeed the Court ruled that it had not been charged with deciding the validity of the election of any of those remaining Councillors, so they were fully entitled to retain their seats. Democratic mandates must be respected.

 

c.    The Council’s ‘Good’ OFSTED rating under Mayor Lutfur Rahman has been lost and the Council is now rated ‘Inadequate’ the worst possible rating with Government Inspectors finding vulnerable children were at risk of harm.

 

d.    On 10 December 2017, all Tower Hamlets opposition groups unanimously called for “audit commissioners to check Tower Hamlets planning applications over £2m “bribery” allegations” exposed by The Sunday Times under the current Labour Mayor and his Administration

 

e.    This motion proposed by current Labour Mayor is a misleading attempt to blame political rivals to hide incompetence by the current administration.

 

This Council resolves:

 

1.    To condemn the record of the previous mayor and his administration.

 

2.    To reject any attempts to return ensure the Council does not become chaotic, dysfunctional or riddled with cronyism and corruption under any administration. to the chaos of the past which the former Secretary of State described as “at best dysfunctional and at worst riddled with cronyism and corruption.”

 

3.    To call on whoever is elected Mayor this year to commit to, and build on, the openness and transparency agenda introduced by Mayor Biggs of the Council and to build on the citizen focussed policy direction originally introduced under the leadership of Mayor Lutfur Rahman and Deputy Mayor Ohid Ahmed’s Administration, including taking active steps to improve accountability such as:

 

a.    Giving the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Audit Committee Chairs to the Opposition Groups

b.    Rotate the Speaker of the Council between all significant political groups

 

Following debate, the above amendment was put to the vote and was defeated.

 

Councillor Joshua Peck moved, and Mayor John Biggs seconded, a procedural motion “that under Procedure Rule 16.4. the names for and against the motion or abstaining from voting be taken down in writing and entered into the minutes.

 

The original motion was then put to a recorded vote and was agreed.

 

The Mayor and Councillors recorded their votes on the motion as follows:-

 

Councillor	For	Against	Abstain	Absent
Khales Uddin Ahmed				x
Ohid Ahmed		x
Rajib Ahmed	x
Shafi Ahmed			x
Suluk Ahmed		x
Sabina Akhtar	x
Mahbub Alam		x
Shah Alam			x
Amina Ali				x
Abdul Asad			x
Craig Aston				x
Asma Begum	x
Mayor John Biggs	x
Rachel Blake	x
Chris Chapman	x
Dave Chesterton	x
Gulam Kibria Choudhury		x
Andrew Cregan	x
Julia Dockerill				x
David Edgar	x
Marc Francis				x
Amy Whitelock Gibbs	x
Peter Golds	x
Shafiqul Haque				x
Clare Harrisson	x
Danny Hassell	x
Sirajul Islam	x
Denise Jones	x
Aminur Khan			x
Rabina Khan			x
Shiria Khatun	x
Abjol Miah			x
Ayas Miah	x
Harun Miah		x
Mohammed Maium Miah				x
Mohammed Mufti Miah		x
Mohammed Abdul Mukit	x
Muhammed Ansar Mustaquim		x
Joshua Peck	x
John Pierce	x
Oliur Rahman		x
Gulam Robbani				x
Candida Ronald	x
Rachael Saunders	x
Helal Uddin	x
Andrew Wood	x
Total Votes	24	8	6

 

RESOLVED:

 

This Council notes that:

 

1.            Tower Hamlets Council has emerged from a period of turbulence and chaos which was created by the previous mayor Lutfur Rahman and his administration, many of whom still serve as councillors.

 

2.            The Government had to appoint Commissioners to run services in the wake of Lutfur Rahman’s administration.

 

3.            Since Lutfur Rahman’s removal from office by the Election Court, and the election of Mayor Biggs, Tower Hamlets Council has undergone a significant period of change and improvement which was recognised by the Government who withdrew their Commissioners.

 

4.            Mayor Biggs and his administration have opened up the council’s decision making process, and we now have a council focussed on the services that residents rely upon rather than a council which Secretary of State Sajid Javid said “had completely lost the trust of its residents” and “was mired in corruption and financial mismanagement”.

 

This Council further notes that:

 

1.            The election court in 2015 ruled that ‘the election of all THF Councillors must be taken to have been achieved with the benefit of the corrupt and illegal practices’.

 

2.            Most of the councillors elected as part of Tower Hamlets First remain on the Council.

 

3.            Tower Hamlets First splintered into two groups: the ‘Independent Group’ and the ‘People’s Alliance of Tower Hamlets’.

 

4.            The ‘Independent Group’ has now renamed itself as ‘Aspire’, and has formally registered as a political party with the Electoral Commission.

 

5.            The ‘People’s Alliance of Tower Hamlets’ has now been formally registered as a political party with the Electoral Commission.

 

This Council believes that:

 

1.            The Council has never unanimously recognised the damage caused by the previous mayor and this motion represents an opportunity for the Council to unanimously declare that we will never return to the chaos of the past.

 

2.            The rebranding or renaming of political groups or parties does not absolve them of or hide their previous failings when in office.

 

This Council resolves:

 

1.            To condemn the record of the previous mayor and his administration.

 

2.            To reject any attempts to return the Council to the chaos of the past which the former Secretary of State described as “at best dysfunctional and at worst riddled with cronyism and corruption.”

 

3.            To call on whoever is elected Mayor this year to commit to, and build on, the openness and transparency agenda introduced by Mayor Biggs.