In his victory speech on June 12, John Biggs said he’d been elected as a Labour mayor, that he’d run the council as a Labour mayor, but he hinted strongly he’d also acknowledge the multicoloured coalition of voters who put him there. Very senior allies of his said that night that some kind of role would have to be found, for example, for Peter Golds. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the role of Speaker seemed to be the perfect fit but in the ensuing days the offer did not come about. Instead, the councillor who did more than any other elected member to bring down Lutfur Rahman has been made a senior member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee with a special responsibility for probity and governance. I’m sure he’ll relish it and perhaps end up as Speaker next year… As it happens tonight’s full council meeting – the first with Biggs as mayor – was chaired by Cllr Moahmmed Adbul Mukit, or ‘MBE’ as he’s known among his colleagues – on account of his MBE of course. It’s his second successive term, as it is for his deputy Rajib Ahmed. I wasn’t there for the meeting but by all accounts it was a most sensible affair. Biggs was apparently cheered by Tory and Labour supporters alike in the public gallery when he announced he would be the ‘speaking variety of mayor’.
The New Mayor speaks https://t.co/PP1mPJMUTl
— Cllr Joshua Peck (@CllrJoshuaPeck) June 24, 2015
Missing from the proceedings was Rabina Khan. I don’t know why and I’m sure she has a good reason so please don’t judge. Ohid Ahmed was also missing (for the start), as was Mahbub Alam, who was posing by the Eiffel Tower earlier today according to his narcissistic Twitter feed. Tonight’s full council was to ratify the various appointments to cabinet and other committees. A Labour press release today said this:
Mayor John Biggs has announced his Cabinet. This leadership team draws on the knowledge, experience and dedication of Labour councillors in Tower Hamlets.
One of the key objectives of this Cabinet is to do away with the secrecy and opaque nature of decision making that plagued the previous administration.
Decisions will be taken transparently and openly, with cabinet meetings held around the borough; council meetings will no longer see the mayor sitting in silence; and councillors will be fully involved in the decision making process, ensuring that local ward knowledge is always fed into the process.
Mayor: John Biggs
Cllr Rachael Saunders: Deputy Mayor for Education & Children’s Services & the Third Sector
Cllr Shiria Khatun: Deputy Mayor for Community Affairs
Cllr Sirajul Islam: Statutory Deputy Mayor
Cllr Rachel Blake: Cabinet Member for Strategic Development
Cllr Joshua Peck: Cabinet Member for Work & Economic Growth
Cllr Amy Whitelock Gibbs: Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services
Cllr Asma Begum: Cabinet Member for Culture
Cllr Ayas Miah: Cabinet Member for Environment
Cllr David Edgar: Cabinet Member for Resources
With forthcoming decisions such as the South Quay Masterplan, Rich Mix litigation and the upcoming report on the Medium Term Financial Plan, the Mayor and Cabinet will be diving straight in to the new culture of transparent and fair decision making.
And in early changes, the Mayor has got rid of the leased car used by his predecessor, agreed that the long-delayed report into the sale of poplar Town Hall be released to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as required by a Council resolution over a year ago, and instructed that there be a long-delayed settlement with the Rich Mix Centre in Bethnal Green and that legal action pursued under the previous Mayor whose effect would have threatened the existence of the centre be ended.
Mayor John Biggs commented: “I’m very pleased to announce the Cabinet and I know we will all do our utmost to serve the residents of Tower Hamlets. I am incredibly proud to serve all people of this borough, but this is no time for complacency: whilst I have already made some changes such as scrapping the mayoral car, we are fully focussed on the big challenges ahead. As there was a period of time with no mayor, there was a pause in decision making.
“We must act now in an efficient and fair manner to sort out these decisions for the benefit of residents. I am beginning to clear the backlog of decisions, and to reverse some actions of my predecessor which were in my view unhelpful for the Borough. I have already held one mayor’s surgery to listen to residents’ issues and there will be many more of these meetings. And I have pledged a regimen of greater transparency and openness.
“It is vitally important that we now press on: serving the residents of Tower Hamlets fairly, transparently and efficiently.”
The other major appointment is Marc Francis as chair of the development and strategic development committee. With his wife Rachel Blake as cabinet member for housing, they’re going to have some pretty solid Chinese Walls at home. In other developments, two senior council officers have also been recruited. Zena Cooke, formerly of Maidstone Borough Council, will become corporate director for resources on August 1. And Melanie Clay, from Central Bedfordshire Council, will become the new corporate director for law, probity and governance on September 17. Meic Sullivan Gould will have to find another way of financing a new car. An advert for a new chief executive is also due to be published this week. Slowly but surely, the directions laid out by the Government to the Commissioners and council are being ticked off. They could well be unemployed by the end of the year.. And speaking of the unemployed, there are now a few redundant ex-Tower Hamlets First councillors in need of work. Actually, we really shouldn’t call them THF councillors because that party has been dissolved and they’ve officially formed an Independent group on the council. But what’s this email which dropped at into my Inbox at 9.35pm tonight? 
Spot the subconscious mistake…? Anyway, here’s the substance:
#Part-time Labour Mayor for Tower Hamlets during second wave of Tory cuts
John Biggs, the newly elected Labour mayor of Tower Hamlets, will be continuing his position as London Assembly Member, whilst the Conservative government threatens more cuts to social security.
Despite gimmickry of pay cut and spin, the fact is that John Biggs will still be taking home nearly £85,000 from combined salary despite being a part time Mayor for the people of Tower Hamlets.
Tower Hamlets, one of the poorest areas in London, is at high risk of being hit the hardest with extended cuts to public services, of which the survival of many rely upon.
The Independent Group, formerly Tower Hamlets First, revived services such as; Education Maintenance Allowance, which gives expenses to school leavers to support them through college; introduced the London Living Wage, which sees that employees in Tower Hamlets are given fair wages; and reduced child poverty by more than 15% since 2010.
Concerned for the future of Tower Hamlets under a Labour mayor, the Independent Group has made a pledge to hold John Biggs to account, on any decisions that may threaten the current services that protect the vulnerable and support the prosperity of the public.
Tower Hamlets was ranked first last year by Grant Thornton on its high growth index, and is also one of the top performing London authorities for the delivery of affordable homes, with 3980 affordable homes delivered and 1262 affordable/social rented homes for families delivered.
Cllr Oli Rahman, Leader of Independent Group, said: “If John Biggs is committed to keeping the borough united, as he has said before, he needs to acknowledge the devastating effects that the Tory cuts can and will make to the poorest and most vulnerable members of our community, and make it his priority to ensure that our residents can live, learn and work with dignity.”
Cllr Rabina Khan, Independent runner up in the Mayoral election, said: “We will continue to fight for the people of Tower Hamlets, and we will do that by holding John Biggs and his Labour cabinet to account. We are a local grassroots political movement and our focus is very much on the welfare of the community, not on building our careers in Westminster politics.” “Despite operating under the full brunt of Tory cuts, we will be leaving behind a legacy of services, the fate of which, lies in the hands of John Biggs and his Labour cabinet.”
Notes to Editor:
1. Cllr Rabina Khan, Independent candidate in June 2015 against Labour’s John Biggs secured 26,384 votes, against the backdrop of a most vicious and negative right wing campaign. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rabina-KHAN-for-MAYOR/792583084189426
2.Cllr Oli Rahman, preformed Acting Mayoral duties before election, is one of the youngest political Group Leaders in the United Kingdom – https://twitter.com/cllroliurrahman
When I used the word ‘substance’ above, I was being generous.
Trial by Jeory 
Cllr Rabina Khan, Independent runner up in the Mayoral election,
So Ed Milliband was also a ? 😉
(Rabina) said: “We will continue to fight for the people of Tower Hamlets, and we will do that by holding John Biggs and his Labour cabinet to account.
It was a terrible tragedy for Tower Hamlets folks when Rabina failed to hold Lutfur Rahman to account. Perhaps she forgot who he was ?
We are a local grassroots political movement and our focus is very much on the welfare of the community,
Whoops. Rabina carelessly omitted the crucial word Bangladeshi before
Rabina wrote
….. we will be leaving behind a legacy of services …..
but forgot about the legacy created by the election petition judgement and the booting-out of public office of her political party’s leader. http://law.slough.info/law46/law46.php
P.S. Anyone know the latest on Rahman’s supposed appeal ?
So the gravy train’s rolling for Labour again.
I don’t envy John Biggs the job of sorting out the mess of 5 years’ worth of Tower Hamlets First/Rahmanite ‘legacy’: council’s coffers cleaned out, assets sold off, no reserves left to soften the severity of cuts on the most vulnerable. On top of this I anticipate that huge compensation will have to be paid to the victims of Tower Hamlets Homes mismanagement of (in)Decent Homes programme.
THF would do better to crawl into a hole as their ‘legacy’ will be now under serious scrutiny. But since they won’t go quietly and it seems impossible to remove them from their unlawfully gained posts, they will hopefully repay their debt to society by continuing what they do best: be the laughing stock of Tower Hamlets.
Instead of replaying their broken-record of deluded ‘achievements’ which is no longer funny, they should focus on implementing their threats to contest the recent election in the Electoral Court, in order to provide us with fresh amusement. I don’t hold much hope for Rahman’s judicial review on that account – it will most likely end in a bit of a damp squib.
Little Oli Rahman made an absolute fool of himself at tonight’s meeting. He was laughed at by the public gallery and Labour and Tory councillors alike. Why should we have to listen to the rambles of this corruptly elected twerp
What did he say?
He nominated himself for Chair of the O&S committee and ranted on for about 5 mins about how an opposition councillor should hold the post to make sure the new administration was accountable and transparent. The whole place was laughing and even John Biggs could barely contain himself. John Pierce was elected instead.
Earlier, Oliur ranted about the new administration after the Speaker’s introduction. Again he was jeered and John Biggs called him ‘extremely discourteous.’
For these and other entertaining highlights, watch the video on the Council website when it’s upload it in a few days.
Yes a certain irony bypass about letting anyone from THF near the post but I do think he has a point in that it should be an opposition councillor.
That said John Pierce is very good and doesn’t shy from speaking his mind. I think he could be the interesting one to watch over the next year.
Btw I was told Abol Miah declined to vote for Oli. Is that true?
Agreed. I didn’t see the vote as my view of the ex-THF Councillors was partly obscured by a pillar. I recall the vote being 14 to 22 in favour of John Pierce so some didn’t vote for Oliur even allowing for the absent ones.
Other than Oliur’s outbursts, the other ex-THF councillors were unusually quiet.
Abjol Miah has resigned from the ex-THF Group according to Danny Hassell in a recent tweet where he says:
“Oh dear the wheels are falling off THF bandwagon. Four cllrs were no show last night and today Abjol Miah has resigned from Group”
Oli Rahman calls himself ‘Former Acting Mayor’ on his twitter. Bit draft isn’t it? He was the acting Mayor for about 2 days wasn’t he?
Dear Lobby Fodder,
Kindly show some understanding towards those suffering from delusions of grandeur.
Anyone whose mental well-being desperately needs ego-boosting titles of Former Acting Mayor deserves everyone’s sympathy, and a discrete recommendation to pop-in to the local GP at the earliest opportunity or ring the Community Psychiatric Nurse.
Mayors, like councillors, are transient – here today, gone tomorrow, and totally unknown to most. Quickly forgotten except for their corruption !
Yours sincerely,
Curious Cat
Founder: Campaign for better mental health care for THF councillors.
The little twerp still calls himself Deputy Mayor on his facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/oliur.rahman.54?fref=ts
He even set up a seperate page for himself as Deputy Mayor here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deputy-Mayor-Cllr-Oliur-Rahman/460630637319107?fref=ts
And he’s still calling himself a cabinet member!
In principle, you can report people who lie or misrepresent themselves to Facebook
In practice however I suggest you look at the dates of posts to the Facebook Page for Deputy Mayor. So far as I am aware he was the Deputy Mayor back in February. He would have real problems if he started to use it again. I guess you could report it as being redundant and dated.
In relation to his personal page – and that of any other Councillor – I’d suggest a screen dump and file save and then monitor the extent to which meals enjoyed etc are recorded on a Councillor’s “Declarations of Interest”. Note the faces of those other Councillors smiling for the camera……… 😉
Councillors’ declarations of interest
Local councillors have to abide by a code of conduct, part of which requires them to declare any interests, gifts or hospitality which they have received, which could influence any decisions they may make as councillors. The council keeps the original of these documents at the Town Hall in Democratic Services.
For further information contact Democratic Services on 020 7364 4204.
see http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgsl/351-400/358_information_about_councill.aspx
Par for the course. Heard of xxx BDS (some prestigious UK uni, failed) touting their non qualifications for custom outside of the UK.
A bit of a ‘Comical Oli’!
Can you credit the comment on Rabina’s Facebook Page (1 May 2015)?
Perhaps Rabina subconsciously revealed a THF election practise.
Did she state how many of the 110% were ghost voters ?
CC.
It’s unfortunate that you, Ted, were unable to be at the meeting itself. After all, we’ll know that everything is back to where it should be in TH when you are welcomed into the public gallery instead of having your way barred and facing unseemly scuffles to be allowed in.
On a separate note, while all the chopping and changing of people is underway, can somebody please fire the press officer who wrote that press release.
“and instructed that there be a long-delayed settlement with the Rich Mix Centre in Bethnal Green and that legal action pursued under the previous Mayor THE EFFECT OF WHICH [not ‘whose effect’] would have threatened the existence of the centre be ended”.
Yours sincerely
A. Pedant.
It’s great that the Labour Mayor of Tower Hamlets, John Biggs is prepoared to be held to account, unlike his predecessor! I’m not sure how the “runner up” plans to do that. Much like many of the recent hustings events she sent her apologies last night.
On another point, whilst I might have every sympathy with the points made; as a response to the Speaker’s annual address, Cllr Oliur Rahman’s attack on the Conservative Government was out of place, undignified and, frankly, pathetic.
I’m selfishly quite glad you weren’t there last night Ted, as I bagged a seat at the press table. One interesting observation from this vantage point was that during the charade of Oliur putting heimself forward for Chair of O&S [the leader of a group who should hang their heads in shame, both as a political group and as elected officials, for their abject failure to hold the previous Mayor to account] he got 14 votes from the 15 of his group [of 17] that had bothered to show up. Former Respect PPC, and “runner up” to Rushanara Ali in the 2005 General Election, Abjol Miah, abstained.
Abjol has now resigned from the Independent group and will sit alone. He’s cheesed off he didn’t get a seat on the Scrutiny committee. Instead the Independents allocated their two seats to…wait for it…don’t laugh…you couldn’t make it up….
Maium Miah and Mahbub Alam.
Dumber and dumber. The Kings of Grants.
Maybe these nominations were for re-education purposes?
Maium Miah – the man the judge basically described as being ‘too thick to be corrupt’
LOL
Maium Miah was described an unimpressive witness whose behaviour when handling the grants process was grossly improper and possibly unlawful.
Both were elected through corrupt and illegal practices as Peter Golds was rightly quick to point out last night to Oliur Rahman and the remaining ex-THF councillors.
The council now has the start of an Independent/Independent group with Abjol Miah walking out of the original Independents. He and Ollie have always loathed each other and Abjol becoming leader of Respect in 2006 (with of course a payment as group leader) Ollie, despite being a councillor since 2004, was furious and was one of the first to walk out of Respect, initially in the Independent Respect group and then in Labour and a paid cabinet post. He lost that after 2010 and so joined Lutfur nad again had a paid post until June 13th.
Abjol Miah received payment last year for supposedly, as a scrutiny lead, scrutinising the Veolia contract. Importantly he was not appointed by the Independent group to Overview and Scrutiny last night and so no extra cash for him.
Should any other Indies join him and they form an Indy Indy Group, or perhaps Respect, then he will get some cash, so watch this space.
This morning there was a staff conference at the Troxy and the highlight was a contribution from Aman “my heart is in Old Montague Street” Dalvi criticising his former hero Lutfur, for not supporting Dalvi in trying to secure private funding for additional housing.
Expect a newly polished Dalvi CV heading to the consultants looking for a new Chief Executive!
How is that a councillor can film and publish a video of a council meeting when mere public like me are jumped on?
Complain to the monitoring officer as an official complaint copy in the commissioners and the New Mayor. Good to test their metal early on in a battle
“With his wife Rachel Blake as cabinet member for housing, they’re going to have some pretty solid Chinese Walls at home.” Yeah, right. Imagine how this would have been written had the other candidate won. Sounds like TJ is about to fall into self-congratulatory retirement. I wonder if the powers of objectively that he lost five years ago will ever resurface. Sad.
Are you saying I lost the ability to be objective five years ago? And that the PwC report and election court didn’t happen?
=> londoncampaigns
The husband and wife appointment was fundamentally WRONG.
Serving the Public of Tower Hamlets is not about promoting nepotism and keeping one’s political mates happy. The Borough of Tower Hamlets needs real active talent. It should not be focused on doubling the council income to a favoured Labour Party family.
2 times councillor’s basic allowance plus 2 times cabinet member’s allowance.
Any one know how much the total is ?
Every poor family in Tower Hamlets would absolutely love to have that GUARANTEED monthly income. It would really put a big, warm and very genuine smile permanently on their beaming happy faces.
Once again we see the real Labour in action – always for themselves and seldom for the deserving public. To Labour is just a game. To the public it is their lives.
You write on your web site https://londoncampaigns.wordpress.com/
– nice idea but in Tower Hamlets how can one reverse Biggs’ bad decision ?
Hopefully Ted is not going to retire any time soon. There is a lot more work needed for Tower Hamlets, as we are beginning to see.
Curious Cat.