To cut a long story short, I was ejected from a Tower Hamlets council meeting tonight and frogmarched out of the town hall by two uniformed security guards on the orders of Head of Communications Takki Sulaiman.
Because I told him he was acting like a prick.
I regret my choice of word. Four letters would have been enough.
He and I have a long history. He dislikes my journalism and I dislike his attitude to press freedom.
I’ve covered Tower Hamlets for nine years now and in that time I’ve seen a gradual erosion in the access afforded to reporters wishing to cover council meetings. That erosion didn’t start with Takki’s management of the communications department, but he has contributed to its acceleration.
He frequently converts press queries to Freedom of Information requests on the spurious grounds that they’d otherwise cause his team (which produces East End Life) too much work.
A couple of years ago, I felt he tried to get me the sack at the Sunday Express by writing to my editor because he objected to me using a scanner in my employer’s office.
And in 2011, he ordered the permanent removal of the reporters’ table that had been a fixture at the very front of the public gallery in the council chamber. After that, the council started reserving seats in the front row for reporters.
This last point is relevant to tonight’s events.
The meeting started at 7.30pm. I arrived some 10 minutes earlier. The public gallery was packed. I stood in the doorway of the council chamber looking for a seat and as is often the case, councillors and others came up to me to say hello.
I saw Takki sitting in a seat not far from the front. There was a space next to him, which he said had been reserved for East End Life. I asked another officer to show me the reserved press seats. She told me Takki had given them all up to members of the public. I asked why. She asked Takki. He told her because I hadn’t responded to an email to say I was coming. I told her I don’t think I ever got an email.
Besides, the council had clearly been expecting me. Here’s the ticket that had been waiting for me in the town hall reception when I arrived:
I was then told I’d have to sit at the back of the public gallery behind a large pillar that obscures the entire council chamber. I told the council officers that that was completely unsatisfactory. By this time Takki had given up his seat for a member of the public.
I then stood at the back of the public gallery in the far corner of the room where I could see (from a distance) the backs of three councillors’ heads.
I started tweeting this and remarked that East End Life had been given a reserved seat. Takki strode over with his iPad. He was logged on to my Twitter timeline. Like many others, he probably enjoys my live tweeting of these meetings. Bless him. He said Laraine Clay, the East End Life editor, was using a crutch and that’s why he’d reserved her a seat. Fair enough (and let me stress as I have on many occasions my deep respect for Laraine). I asked him when he’d sent me the email about reserved seating. He said one of his team had sent it. I said I didn’t get one and that anyway it was irrelevant. As he turned his back to walk away, in a quiet voice, one on one, I told him he was acting like a prick. He asked me to repeat it. So I did. He then asked whether I’d like to be removed from the gallery. I said, ‘Do what you want Takki, I’m trying to report.’
He then hurried off and walked into a wall.
Then a few seconds later, two THEOS (Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers) approached me. They asked me to leave the gallery. I followed them. Takki was waiting in the corridor outside. He asked me whether I’d called him a prick. I said Yes. He said I’d have to leave the building and the two THEOS walked me to the lift, got in, shook their heads in embarrassment and made sure I left the town hall.
The Evening Standard has covered this tonight. It’s another PR disaster for a council that desperately needs to improve in that department. And caused by the man who runs that department. Ours was a verbal spat between two grown adults – a hack and a spin doctor who are used to trading industrial language. And it comes at a time when there have been attempts behind the scenes to draw the poison from the political situation.
He says in a statement tonight: “This is my workplace, I have a right not to be abused in my workplace. I don’t know any other walk of life where it would be justified.”
Well, let’s try Tower Hamlets politics shall we? Over many years, both he and I have witnessed abuse hurled at councillors from the public gallery, some of it homophobic, some of it about personal appearance.
And in none of those instances did Takki or anyone else ask for people to be evicted.
In fact, the only other time I can remember Takki & Co asking someone to be marched out was last year…when the redoubtable John Wright, a 71 year old Alzheimer’s Ambassador was physically removed from the chamber for having the temerity to film proceedings after Eric Pickles had said ‘Go ahead’.
Anyone spot a pattern here?
PS Oli Rahman was named Deputy Mayor tonight. Congratulations to him. I’ve never heard him swear in my life. Ahem.
Trial by Jeory 
Keep at it Ted. We need you and know you wont be browbeaten.
Ted – I suggest you send Takki an email saying he will require a seat at all meetings of Council until further notice.
sorry – that should have read “YOU will require a seat for reporting purposes at all future Council meetings”
Have already done so. Plus see the latest Love Wapping blog post and my comments there.
http://lovewapping.org/2014/06/takki-sulaiman-explains-ted-jeory-ejected-tower-hamlets-council-meeting/
Takki tells him I turned up ‘late’! The visitors’ book in reception and the new deputy mayor (with whom I was having a conversation in the public gallery at 7.25pm) will confirm otherwise.
We must question why the head of communications is peddling misinformation to residents.
I added a few more comments!
Takki has been peddling misinformation to the public for years. I don’t trust a word that comes out of that man’s mouth!
Take care Ted. These people are really nasty
Ted, I saw you arrive and then heard another person make a disturbance about something related to seating but then the meeting started and I did not hear anything else. The front row of public seats was definitely less full then normal. I only realised what had happened once I got home and read the Twitter messages. Had we councillors realised you were being evicted we would have raised the issue at the time but we were all oblivious to what had happened at the back of the hall. If we could not hear or see what happened to you that proves what a poor location you were given to hear and observe us.
I have emailed Taki tonight to find out his side of the issue. I have told him that councillors will have to discuss this issue at the next full council meeting.
PS you did not miss much, it was the quickest council meeting I have ever seen. Labour as the largest party proposed various people as speaker, deputy speaker, chairs of committees etc and nobody else objected. I thought as the meeting finished what an easy even boring meeting it was, how wrong I was
Thanks Andrew. He claims the gallery is his workplace. It’s mine as well and he prevented me from working. I don’t think he quite gets what the press is there for. Which is worrying.
Andrew – can I suggest that, in future, you ask why the reporters including Ted are not in a front seat with a table to write on an in clear view of everything that is going on – as required by law.
Takki had the choice last night of complying with legislation and regulations and he chose not to. I’m not surprised ay Ted’s reaction. Ted obviously needs to take copies of the legislation and guidelines with him in future.
Or maybe you could ask for relevant law and regulations to be always available in the chamber for reference purposes should the Head of Communications feel he needs to have another demigod moment.
Also that proper provision needs to be made at all times for all EXTERNAL reporters.
I’m sure Mr Pickles will also have his own views on the wisdom of trying to exclude the press from the Council Chamber.
Ted – You disappoint me! Was “prick” the best you could think of? There are many more apt words Like words beginning with C, of course I mean chump! I bet Andrew Gilligan is quaking in his boots – not!
Personally Ted I think they are frightened of you, so keep up your fantastic, informative work.
Spot on John – what an incredibly stupid thing for them to do!
All I can think of is they must be running scared. Makes me think your reporting of the PWC investigation will be very interesting when it happens
Yes, first John and now you, Ted. What are Tower Hamlets council doing treating the press and the public like this? Why do they want to shut down debate and stifle democracy – even so far as to stop you reporting? It will be interesting to see if they can prove they emailed you.
On democracy – yesterday as well – 50 of us who had signed a letter of objection, emailed to the council in response to their plan for a public building in a public park in Tower Hamlets were told that only 1 of those signatures will be accepted…because the others are ‘not signatures’. Errr what? It’s council “protocol” apparently (note you use this word Southpawpunch) – since 2010. Yes, one online signature is a signature, but not more than one! By adding your name to others, you have effectively lost your say in TH. Even in their plans for your money, for a public building in a public park. The Government accepts epetitions/online signatures but not Tower Hamlets Council. Of course most of us would have signed online petitions to LBTH since 2010 – as happened in response to their Island Gardens plan. But “protocol” says only one did. All done to keep decisions secret and away from the public and press (at a committee meeting.) You see, they can use Delegated Powers to decide things themselves in private, when they only get ‘one’ signature. Madness. Sorry, “protocol”.
Sounds to me like another natter which needs to be notified to Mr Pickles and the PWC investigation re. how the Coucil is run and how accountable it is.
If the Prime Minister can enable online petitions and electronic signatures to determine debates in the House of Commons it’s about time that Tower Hamlets got its act together!
As a former senior Council officer who oversaw the sort of thing that the Head of Comms at TH does, I think the action taken by Takki Sulaiman is appalling.
I’m not buying the ‘I was justified, because of the abuse’ line. Council officers have to face sustained abuse (not just a ‘one-off’) in some roles and there are always clear protocols that have to be used e.g. ‘I am unable to help you any further Mr Smith, if you swear at me. If you continue to do such, I will have to ask you to leave, etc.’ There was none of that here.
It is also bad judgement to weigh up an unpleasantness of a case of foul language and find that more important than the removing of a journalist. I would also question what authority such a person has to order Enforcement Officer to do anything. The only time I have seen a journalist removed was by a special motion passed by councillors.
I had no time at all for the reporting of Jeory during the election – it was clearly unfair to THF. But I have even less time for such actions by council officers, particularly removing those wishing to monitor what is happening be they press or the public.
An astute THF cllr or Mayor would realise that whilst the media they get will continue to be Islamophobic and will often bear little relation to reality, they need communications staff who act absolutely correctly, so as not to make things even worse.
Did any of the Councillors present show any signs of intervening?
No, they weren’t aware anything was going on, which shows how quiet the exchange was and how far back in the room I was.
@theoriginallondonblogger. See Cllr Andrew Wood’s comment above.
Talk about Ted throwing his dummy out of the pram…you know exactly what you were doing and you should be ashamed of yourself for thinking its ok to verbally abuse a council staff. You think your are above the law and can ponce around like you own this place ..,wrong wrong wrong
You are nothing but a vile right wing publicity seeking gutter journalist !!!
You could be talking about Lutfur.
What law does Ted think he’s above? Calling someone a “prick”, particularly if there is some justification is not a breach of any law.
PS. The word “ponce” can be considered homophobic and offensive. Shall I report you to the police?
Besides, I didn’t call him a prick. I said he was acting like a prick. I could also have said he was acting like a jerk or like a fool.
By calling security, he proved my point.
I happen to know for a fact that he’s been called a prick in his workplace before and he did not call security then.
Perhaps it was just personal. Either way, a mistake.
Ah the ‘Tower Hamlets First’ defence – all council staff are sacrosanct and can never be criticised by anyone.
In Tower Hamlets council there is a small but influential vipers’ nest of council officers whose loyalty appears not to be to the people of the borough but to Lutfur Rahman – this includes the entire crew who print East End Life which is simply Lutfur’s vanity machine (or, when not promoting Lutfur, promoting various leftie causes e.g. this week’s edition with its front page against closing GPs’ surgeries – a nakedly political position).
Those officers who work for Lutfur’s re-election, rather than in the interests of residents, shouldn’t be shielded by this hysterical ‘you can’t criticise officers!’ bull. They need to be hauled out and abused repeatedly and regularly, until Eric Pickles gets the cojones to sling the whole lot out.
I’ve been thinking for some time that the expenditure on the vanity machine ought to be legally challenged.
All officers need to serve the Council and ALL its Councillors and ALL members of the public. They cannot pick and choose. If they do that makes the expenditure political and that point it becomes “ultra vires”.
OK – so who’s going to do the FOI request for the group email sent out by Communications and which was supposed to have reached Ted?
Maybe Takki isn’t aware that all emails have audit trails which define when they were sent – and by whom?
Just as a matter of interest Ted – is this act Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 – and this legal provision still applicable?
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/8-9/67
“while the meeting is open to the public, the body shall not have power to exclude members of the public from the meeting and duly accredited representatives of newspapers attending for the purpose of reporting the proceedings for those newspapers shall, so far as practicable, be afforded reasonable facilities for taking their report and, unless the meeting is held in premises not belonging to the body or not on the telephone, for telephoning the report at their own expense.”
Looks to me as if Takki might have just broken the law of the land!
How do these laws work. Whatever “law” it is Stringer’s boys always seem to conclude they should “immediately do nothing”
@You couldn’t make it up
FYI I submitted a letter last night to the councils senior staff including the Interim Monitoring Officer on this very issue quoting the passage above as well as other legislation and guidance I found, so thanks for the tip. I have stated my opinion that after reading the legislation that the council should re-introduce the reporters table that used to be there until 2011.
The Monitoring Officer has confirmed that he will write a formal opinion on this issue but he believes that it is the responsibility of the Mayor and not the Council to make the decision on press access (subject to the law of course)
What was his reasoning on the mayor having the final say? After all, it’s a meeting of the council, no?
Facilities are an executive function for the purposes of the Local Govt Act 2000.
But I agree with you, reporters should certainly have always had a table and I hope Lutfur will reinstate it immediately.
It’s worrying that a council officer thinks he can throw people out of public gallery like that. You should have challenged him Ted, under what authority was he acting? Surely it’s the speakers’ decision.
In addition – The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 – states
“(6) While the meeting is open to the public, any person attending the meeting for the purpose of reporting the proceedings is, so far as practicable, to be afforded reasonable facilities for taking their report”
Clearly Takki breached the requirements of the Regulations since proper provision was not made for all those likely to want to report the proceedings.
Time to explore some legal avenues methinks. Once again, a Tower Hamlets public official oversteps his remit and has one law for his sycophants and a contrary one for his critics.
If this is the level of public official in the borough of TH then may your god help you cos the council officials won’t!
Unless you’re Bengali, of course…
He says in a statement tonight: “This is my workplace, I have a right not to be abused in my workplace. I don’t know any other walk of life where it would be justified.
This makes me laugh. What about Councillor’s who are abused by THF supporters, who too are in a work place, Working for the residents of this borough who elected them to be there They are not escorted from the building, they are allowed to contiue to do just what they like. They are supported by THF Councillors who think its great and sit and laugh
Ted get a legal team on this. The man is paid from the publice purse of Tower Hamlets , and is a public servant
Ted, seriously, while you perhaps shouldn’t have called him a prick it looks like he’s both broken the law and inhibited press freedoms. You should take this further.
Tim.
[…] Jeory himself says: “I regret my choice of word. Four letters would have been enough.” A sentiment that any right minded person in the East End would agree […]
I support you Ted, the citizens of TH need your scrutiny, and of course these rotten borough bullies would try to deny you the space to report.
In the meantime Ted – it would appear you have at least another two Trojan stories to follow up. I’m sure Head of Communications Takki Sulaiman would love to have the opportunity to be able to explain the word ‘Trojan’ in relation to Tower Hamlets. Why not give him some proper work to do?
about schools in Tower Hamlets
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10892901/Trojan-Horse-Ofsted-probe-widens-to-Luton-and-London.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2655653/Ofsteds-snap-visits-fears-Trojan-Horse-plot-spread-Inspectors-schools-Bradford-Luton-amid-concerns-governors-abusing-position.html
about the Labour Party in Tower Hamlets
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/tower-hamlets-council-has-been-targeted-in-trojan-horsestyle-plot-9515423.html
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/06/10/Labour-MP-Claims-Party-Is-Target-Of-Trojan-Horse
I think I was pretty accurate in my predictions that after the last election and its results Rahman’s gang will get even more confident, aggressive and hostile towards non-Bangladeshis.
I did not expect this to happen so soon though and in such a bizarre way.
This is another case that proves the point that there should be a complete and non-negotiable isolation of anyone even remotely linked to Rahman.
Using an unpleasant word in a private conversation is unacceptable, shouting abuse in Bengali/Sylheti from the public gallery is tolerated if not even encouraged.
Sulaiman felt it is acceptable to stir things with his new seating allocation concept and to remove the press representative simply because he sees Rahman and his gang getting away with much bigger things.
Sulaiman is a clownish figure that deserves nothing but ridicule. There are enough examples, even on this blog alone, of his incompetence and stupidity.
I refuse to accept that the incident yesterday was related only to Sulaiman’s dislike of Ted’s journalism or concern over his welfare in the workplace. It is not a personal disagreement. It is not just a case of an incompetent and overpaid council worker bringing again shame on the borough.
I think this is a sign of things to come now. In the last for years they were pretending to be transparent and inclusive. During the election campaign they did not even waste time pretending. Now they proactively attack transparency, local people and their values.
‘He then hurried off and walked into a wall.’ – Honest? You must have split your sides laughing!
Probably why he called the bouncers. ‘Enforcement’ – every time I see that on the back of those clowns in the market it makes me want to provoke them and see what they do. They have no powers of arrest, so what are they for?
The word ‘enforcement’ makes me think of Brownshirts and cast extras in the Sopranos.
Keep it up Ted.
[…] Journalist ejected from Tower Hamlets council meeting. […]
[…] Journalist ejected from Tower Hamlets council meeting. […]
Boris has bought his water cannons and now I hear that you-know-who has bought some Daleks, they scream “Exterminate Ted, Exterminate Ted. Don’t worry Ted I will lend you my magic screwdriver, bought from B & Q!
Ted, this might be off topic – but the Tower Hamlets Now / THF twitter feed is back in full force – it’s really pissing me off – a story about a youth centre open day, a quote from the dear leader and then how great tower hamlets is – why not a quote from a young person or resident – it’s all overtly political in its methods. The one about idea stores and then a quote from Rahman – what not a quote from an adult learner .. I know it might not seen major but I am paying for these services and this bloated communications team and it all seems very wrong to me.
V good spot. Let’s monitor. I suspect it’s lazy press office protocols wanting to please Lutfur but we’ll compile a list and highlight.
Takki may not want the press observing council meetings but he is obviously forgetting basic strategy: ‘Keep your friends close but your enemies closer’.
Take care Ted. It’s nor paranoia they really are out to get you!
Leave it out Judith Gardiner! Take some rest now. You had your turn when you were a councillor.
“….they really are out to get you” is not based on any evidence. It is just the work of our wild, unhealthy imagination. Such hollow statements from you do not really help at all.
Judith Gardiner is an ex Labour councillor. Takki Suliman is an ex Labour councillor.
Someone spot a pattern here?
Their statements are just unhelpful albeit in very differing circumstances.
Why should people be paranoid? Grow up people and learn to respect the voters of TH!!
What’s happened in Tower Hamlets is simpy the Bengali / ordinary working class people having the courage and stomach to take on the Labour machine and their right wing allies and defeating them yet again in another major election.
The Labour party tried every dirty trick in the book including lies, smear tactics and employing national media outlets like the BBC to wage a vicious propaganda war against the elected Mayor. They thought by using their national profile and right wing attack dogs like Jeory & Gilligan they would somehow turn the tide against the Mayor. How wrong where they?
Alas all of their efforts came to nothing and in fact spectacularly rebounded on them.
The simple truth is Ted, Gilligan, Peck, Saunders and Golds simply can’t accept defeat graciously and are just sore losers. They fail to recognise or respect the will and mandate of large swathes of people in the borough. To them all these people are brainwashed brown people who are not intellegent enough to elect their own representatives locally. All these voters must be treated with suspicion and scorn.
Labour, Ted and co still fail to realise that most ordinary voters are very politically astute and dont easily
buy into their daily propaganda, prejudice and paranioa about the elected Mayor or the Council for that matter.
Until you guys open your eyes and accept the ground realities you will continue to sound like a broken record / sour grapes or even worse like a bunch of mad barking dogs.
Ted, you need to grow up and stop being so petty and believing in your own hype / Bull**t as some kind of an guardian angel of TH. You think you are untouchable, always right and deserve to be treated as an objective journalist whose words / blogs must be treated like gospel. You accuse the Mayor / THF of not accepting criticism when in fact you do the same by blocking out all the critical comments on your blog.
You can’t stand people finding holes in your arguements. We all know you are incapable of being a proper journalist due to your blind spot for Labour and your unhealthy obsession with LR / THF and general paranoia of Islam / brown people in power.
Until you fix-up and get some balance in your reporting you will remain just another barking dog that most sensible people will ignore while you just get loved and caressed by few right wing nutters, closet rascists, Islamphobes and of course the defeated Labour foes who are still licking their wounds!!
Some of the may even be mad dogs with rabies!
I think if LR opponents are smart they will change tactics as so far they are allowing the Mayor / THF plenty of open goals and free ammunitions to use against them at the grasroots level.
Labour could ill afford to do this especially after the recent humiliation they suffered at the polls. Once bitten twice shy as they say, Learn from your mistakes before Labour & Tories get extinct too in TH just like the Lib Dems who have been effectively wiped out!!
Another deluded Lutfurite making wild claims they cannot support.
Bravo! Hope “prick”(s) on here actually read your comment with an open mind.
How’s your love in with Awlaki, Mr Sharif?
My love for him as the same love I have for your mum , non existing.
Which demonstrates the measure of this man. His Facebook page seems to have been removed, quite probably by Facebook given some of the comments on there.
Well the voters may have spoken – but whether they were voting for valid candidates or whether all of them were valid voters remains to be seen. I guess we’ll just have to wait for the outcome of the Police Investigation.
The thing is if a candidate is proven to be ineligible then it’s a distinct possibility that they will have to hold a by-election as that candidate’s votes might have been redistributed elsewhere – for another party. In general the British Public are not very keen on political parties which try to cheat.
see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10900132/First-fake-voters-now-police-look-into-bogus-councillors-in-Tower-Hamlets.html
Such a sad story. I feel for you Ted. I you could be banned for a year from council meetings for such behaviour.
Hope you’re feeling better now as it almost feels reading your sad story above this hurt your ego.
Awww poor Ted. Nevermind
Ignore. Thanks
Ted attacking Omar about ‘Awalaki’ just shows how petty and childish he can be when challenged. I think you can do better then that Ted, honestly as an award winning ‘Whitehall’ journalist you don’t need to scoop down to the lowest base to defend your stance. Play the game, not the man !!!
Not so, but at least, unlike you, he has the courage to post under his own name. However, as he does so it’s interesting for others to know a little of the man. His Facebook page, which includes a promotion of an Awlaki sermon, is a reader’s delight. I’ve previously cited this on Twitter. He also seems to be very close to one or two new THF councillors.
No doubt this was all planned and conjured up! So obvious Ted!! And no doubt your pal at the evening standard was ready and waiting on the wings for the story! Very clever indeed. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill!
Spot on!
Yes I know!! I love how you’ve made yourself the victim as well! And then using the typical “oh wheres all the transparency” and “i’m a journalist, I’m immune to everything”. Absolutely brilliant!!
Strategic genius, I am, aren’t I? Maybe the council should hire me as head of comms. Oh, hang on..
No doubt if Mr. Biggs had become the Mayor I’m sure you would’ve had a lovely position in his team, maybe even heading up comms! Or even an area your clueless about – just like Mr Gilligan our cycling tsar!
Ted – I see your haters have crept out from under their stones. Shame they don’t understand the word – TRUTH!
What has Awalaki got to do with you getting kicked out of the Council chamber after verbally abusing a senior Council staff? Oh I see…losing the argument so let’s resort to personal attacks and using the ‘terrorist’ / ‘Islamist’ threat smear on any commentators who dares to disagree with me. Very smart Ted and I see it works well with your largely Islamphobic pals /intellectually challenged right wing followers who cant think or speak openly in public so use you as a shield and an attack dog …aah got to love the foolishness of the defeated forces in TH 🙂
Dont get used Ted for the defeated forces dirty politics…if you claim to be an impartial and objective journalist / blogger then let’s see more balance and less hysteria in your reporting. I know you hate LR/THF/ Islamists but dont make it too obvious and try not to let it get to you or cloud your judgement on everything.
P.S
First rule of journalism… report the story / news rather than becoming the story / news itself !!
Dear Ajay, I’m sure you can read, but try reading the post again. The clue is in me telling Takki I was trying to report on the meeting, but that was a little difficult.
I’m sure you’d like the press to be given good access to report for the public, no?
I heard that residents were waiting from about 5:30pm in hope of getting a ticket to enter the chambers. There were many who apparently didn’t get a ticket due to the high numbers. Ted, you seem to have come at 7:20pm according to your blog expecting to have a seat reserved for yourself (regardless of being part of the press!). If you had got a seat at that time, I don’t think other residents would’ve been happy who were waiting a lot longer then you.
I’m sure there were other members of the press there reporting for the public, maybe even those who can give a balanced argument on things!
Then you have no idea of the importance of the press in being able to report proceedings. Frankly, you wouldn’t be commenting here without any press. Maybe you’d prefer it that way?
Plus, by law, the council is required to make adequate arrangements for the press. There’s a reason for that: try guessing.
Calm down now Ted! I’m not debating the legalities. What I’m asking is whether there were other press officers there? Because I’m sure there was. You are not the only person representing the press and just because your not there it doesn’t mean that the story wont be told.
Yes, there were a number of press officers there. Which shows how little you understand what you’re talking about.
I’m not quite clear what kind of society you want to live in.
OK so there were other members of the press present which means that the Council must have made adequate arrangements??
But your upset that you weren’t there? Ted, the media world doesn’t revolve around you, other people can also report on the proceedings – as you’ve stated there were other members of the press present to do that…
No, I didn’t say that. Press officers work for the council. Journalists give them work to do. The arrangements were inadequate. I was there but seated behind a pillar. You think that’s adequate? This is becoming tiresome; I thought you might have something to contribute. But I don’t think you know very much at all.
Ah right so there’s a legal obligation on journalists in particular and not just the “press” in general – thanks for that! It’s all a learning curve for me, I obviously don’t work in the field. So I take it there were no other “journalists” after you left then to “report on the proceedings”.
If there were any journalists there I take it they were all seated inadequately behind pillars and so on. But then again, maybe some of them came before 7:20pm to get a better view of the proceedings!
Ted, you do actually write some stuff which your readers believe. This one is a total joke though!
Now you’re not making any sense. Suggest for your own sake you don’t waste any more time on this blog.
I’m merely asking questions to get a greater understanding of things, would you rather I just accept and believe what you’ve said? Why is it that you don’t like people questioning or challenging you Ted? I mean, as a journalist, your life seems to be all about questioning others doesn’t it?
Of course you wouldn’t want me commenting on your blog Ted, you don’t like being questioned about things and those that do challenge you simply don’t fit into this blog.
On “wasting time”. This blog seems to be all about slating the “Elected Mayor” of Tower Hamlets. You did it before the 2010 elections with the aim of ensuring he doesn’t win, you failed. You did it again before the recent elections and again you failed. You’re wasting your time Ted. The more you attack him, the more people decide to support him! With all your attacks in the past 4 years, he and his party have had more people voting for them and he has more support in the shape of Councillors.
As the phrase goes “Epic Fail” Ted!!!!
What on earth has the mayor got to do with this post or what happened on Wednesday?
How old are you?
It just goes to show what a nonsense Lutfur’s comments about ‘working with all members’ of the community’ and valuing diversity. Didn’t take him long to break his word. All these poodles of Lutfur who think like him, that Council business should go on behind closed doors with no scrutiny, challenge or comment clearly know nothing about democracy. Keep up the good work Ted.
Jay Kay, can you clearly state which communities he isn’t working or engaging with? Can you give us some examples of those that have been sidelined?
In terms of scrutiny, I don’t know whether his attending the Scrutiny Committee, I hear his attended more times then other Mayors though. But the question is whether Labour are scrutinising him or his policies?? If anything their not bothered about his policies but rather him personally! Is that democracy??
Jay Kay, it would be interesting to know how you define Democracy also!
You would have to ask the Mayor that, he made the statement, not me. By his own admission he’s not working with all of them because he says he now wants to work with them all.
In Council papers for March 2013, it is recorded that the Mayor refused to attend any of the 10 O&S meetings.
Yes Ted, you are the most important journalist in East London who should be treated differently and given ‘special’ access as you are afterall a ‘special’ (govt-backed) reporter employed to keep an eye on the brown Bengali people in the rotten borough of TH who keep on making the mistake of supporting/electing the vile ‘Islamist’ Mayor and his extremist followers to power who are scheming to turn this into a den of corruption / extremism in what is now the Islamic Republic of Tower Hamlets.
Yes Ted, you should be allowed to write any nonsense, abuse anybody you like cos you are an ‘award’ winning ‘Whitehall’ journalist who is doing an important role keeping us safe from Islamist terrorists like Omar Sharif and the ‘Awalaki’ supporters.
Apologies for questioning you Ted…have good day !!
This did make me laugh…’you should be allowed to write any nonsense, abuse anybody you like.’
Straight from the extremist-linked Mayor’s handbook of what to do when you have no arguement.
I am glad you found it amusing Jay Kay…laughter is a good medicine but I fear it won’t be enough to get rid of your delusional mindset and paranoia…that I am afraid requires specialist physicians. Oh let me guess you are afraid of visting such specialists as they often have Islamist names like Dr Patel or Ahmed ? Yes I cant blame you as it is difficult to trust these brown Drs anymore especially as many of them have long beards and wear headscarfs and maybe secret LR supporters / Islamist sympathisers !! Time for ‘Trojan Horse’ enquiry in the NHS ??
Stay safe Jay Kay 🙂
A Lutfur poodle calling me deluded. Now that is funny.
One of the fundamental foundation stones of our society is a free and independent press able to go where it likes and report what it likes. Together with democracy, contested elections, an independent judiciary and equality before the law, they form the bedrock of how our society operates. Start tampering with press freedoms and you start undermining the foundation stones of society itself. Reporters without Borders ranks the UK as 33rd in the world for press freedom so it is not an area we can get complacent about. And press freedoms are just as important in Tower Hamlets as they are in the House of Commons which has had a special space reserved for reporters since the year 1803. The Parliamentary Press Gallery Committee was formed in 1881 to safeguard the interests of parliamentary reporters and political correspondents at Westminster. Why is Tower Hamlets still changing the rules on press access in the year 2014?. The countries with the worst reputation for protecting journalists are Eritrea, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Syria and Somalia, I am sure these are not countries we would wish to emulate.
Well said, Andrew.
Keep it up Andrew – it appears that one thing sadly lacking in Tower Hamlets Schools is an education in democracy and the British Constitution.
Takki had the option of sending a note to the Speaker to ask for Ted to be ejected from the Chamber. The Speaker would then have had to have consulted with the Council Members if he wanted to avoid opprobrium being subsequently heaped on his head. My guess is members would have instead asked Ted to apologise and allowed him to sit in an appropriate place in full view of the Council.
Takki the demigod chose not do this and instead decided that he had the power to reinvent the constitution in this country and breach both the law and regulations on press freedom to report council meetings.
That’s a a gross infringement on press freedom.
In my book that’s a very serious Disciplinary Matter for a person of his seniority and responsibility who really ought to have known better – as in knowing the law he was bound to uphold.
Incidentally – should this not become a Disciplinary Matter (ie Takki’s action was hugely more significant than Ted swearing) then we will know that standards relating to the staff Code of Conduct within Tower Hamlets Council are being seriously breached.
e.g. para 3.2
“The Council expects your conduct at work and integrity to be of the highest standard. You should ensure that you behave in a manner that reflects well upon the Council and that is not in breach of any law or Council procedure.”
I also cannot help wondering how many reports are going to emerge of Takki swearing at staff in the workplace……..
Andrew, all your research about press freedom and access is valid and very enlightening except it is completely irrelevent.
Someone used abusive language and they were thrown out. That is the issue here.
No that’s not the issue here. The head of comms had failed to do his job; our long personal dislike of each other overspilled…mine by telling him quietly he was acting like a prick, and him by assuming powers he should not have.
What’s not been said yet is that as the meeting started longstanding Green Party activist Terry McGrenera was actually shouting at officers because he also was angry the front row seats were being occupied by officers. This commotion actually disrupted proceedings. Security weren’t called.
They were called in my incident because Takki can’t stand me. He was logged into my Twitter timeline because he knows I tweet live and he knows this is one of the main outlets for the public outside.
There have been many many examples of abusive language used in the public gallery and in the chamber itself and not once can I remember anyone being ejected.
His actions were a serious mistake.
Wrong. There is no issue here. Ted says Takki was acting like a prick. Ted did not call Takki a prick. Takki was not ‘abused in the workplace’. It was his behaviour that was criticised, not him as a person.
What is surprising is the seemingly lack of knowledge, by some parties, about how a democracy and a free press operate here in Britain.
The press’ role is to record what was said and by whom and to call out anything that appears dodgy.
The current situation indicates that LBTH Council, the THF Mayor and Councillors and certain council officers are opposing this public debate. The question is then are we a democracy or a dictatorship or what?
Ted and the national press should be allowed to do their jobs. I hope some msm attend the next LBTH Council meeting.
Ted isn’t the first journalist to face this nonsense; others have taken councils to court and won.
LBC headlining the legal petition on the election.
To be perfectly honest and I do not mean it as an offence – I preferred when Ted was reporting on the TH circus rather than taking part in it.
Same here. I didn’t ask to be ejected.
Whatever happened to that Head of Communications who worked for David Cameron who had to go when there was more press about him than his boss? 😉
Too many pricks on TH council anyway, so your choice of word was apposite, though badly timed, Mr. Jeory. You get a better (more subtle?) class of insult when there is a strong female presence, rather than what is currently bandied about (or so one reads) in the TH council chamber.
Tell me this is not a political retweet by towerhamletsnow – @BBCLondon949: There’s no Trojan horse in @TowerHamletsNow @MayorLutfur says they have a family of schools with fantastic relationships.
This is not a comment about the content but why Tower Hamlets council is using its official twitter feed as a platform for the mayor
And while looking this was interesting -@BBCLondon949: on whether he’d re-join @UKLabour @MayorLutfur “the Labour movement in Tower Hamlets is one family” … “I would not rule out anything” I’m sure THF was accused of calling TH Labour racist before the election
Mr. Jeory Saheb, this seems like 2 school boys with over inflated egos having a cock fight. Let’s not blow it out of proportion. You were wrong in your choice of language and the officer was wrong for kicking you out. Let’s not conflate the bad behaviour of people in the gallery and the alleged behaviour of Councillors with the abuse of Council Officer who shouldn’t have to put up with taking abuse.
You both over reacted so just pull up your zip, put it away, and be the bigger man. It’s clear you don’t like him and I’m assuming the animosity towards you is reciprocal on his part but the anger and emotion has clouded your usually calm demeanor and it shows in this particular blog post.
If you are sincere in the reconciliatory tone you took up post election don’t let your personal grudges cloud that.
Wrong. The root of the frustration is the attitude towards the press from that office. There should be a table there and it should mark the press out from the public.
Takki has never been a journalist and I think that’s part of the problem.
Why are my comments being blocked Ted? Have I broken any rules or said something offensive or is it too critical of you ? I hope your not selective in the choice of who is allowed and not allowed to post comments on you blog given how much you bang on about transparency and fairness.
No, because you posted something completely off topic. You’ll have a chance to have your say on that issue soon enough. I’m very touched you care about thus blog: thank you.
Teds ejection from the Council chamber is just one part of the absolute shambles that full council meetings are. They are a disgrace. Firstly, just getting in. Some public must arrive at the crack of dawn and let into the chamber. By 7.15pm its easier to get on an Easyjet flight than get in! If your lucky you may find a seat at the back, probably behind a huge pillar where you can’t see or hear a thing. Then there are the gang of security guards hovering like vultures and ready to pounce if anyone so much as sneezes. So there we are, at the back, behind a pillar, trying to listen to proceedings, to councillors who havn’t the
foggiest idea how to use a microphone. Then the councillors start yelling and screaming abuse at each other, very often in very strong accents, or bad English. No wonder the public get frustrated! Maybe that’s why TH choked at the thought that their actions may be filmed and their terrible behaviour shown to the broader world.
I am mystified and horrified as to the problems that Ted had. I had always thought that Council meeting were controlled and arranged by Democratic Services. Will the Council now publicly declare that in fact council meetings are run, monitored and controlled by Sulaiman? If he does, when will he be selling tickets on Ticketmaster, and sell popcorn, (to eat and not to throw)? Council, you have a new chance to show us that you are not now the rabble that you were. Its not too late to learn to be dignified, speak clearly and behave like grown-ups.
Given the fuss and dithering the Council made about filming, it’s not surprising they created this mess as well. They’ve learnt nothing from having meetings filmed where the world can see what a joke some of these Councillors are.
“He says in a statement tonight: “This is my workplace, I have a right not to be abused in my workplace. I don’t know any other walk of life where it would be justified.” ”
Does that mean that we are going to see Takei expressing solidarity with all the council workers who endured abuse during the election count?
I think the biggest scandal of this situation is that two of our finest THEOs were actually called to do some work!How much longer are residents going to tolerate the vast amount of funds that are thrown at this useless work force or should that be non work force?
While anti social behavior in the borough is at a all time high this group just amble around or sit in the local parks just ignoring acts of vandalism,because they are to lazy or scared to act.Every day we see them just ignoring the vandals who seem determined to deface every wall with graffiti
Yet we residents have been told every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night it is quite common to see a disproportionate number of this force situated at either end of the Mayor’s road to deter revelers..It would appear while the majority of residents in the area have to suffer sleepless nights at the weekends, no such worries for our leader.Truly the Majors private army.
Apologies – I am not familiar with these acronyms. Are these THEOs the so called Muslim Patrol or is it something else? I thought they were jailed.
THEOs – Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers.
Hence we are living in a THEO-cracy 😛
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