Mayor Rahman’s spending boost to expand his private office while Tower Hamlets residents suffer as wages tumble

The latest figures from the ONS, published Tuesday 14 February, reveal real wages fell by 3.1 on the year in the three months to December – the biggest drop in 14 years. Analysis from Tower Hamlets Labour reveals that local wages have fallen by £1,409.35 over the last twelve months.

Despite the devastating impact this economic turmoil is having on local families, the Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets and his Aspire administration have earmarked approximately £5million of taxpayer money in its Budget proposals over the next three years to expand the Mayor’s Office based at the new Tower Hamlets Town Hall in Whitechapel. This includes the recruitment of additional political staff.

The Budget for 2023/24 will be debated at a meeting of the Tower Hamlets Council on Wednesday 1st March 2023.

Publishing the figures, Leader of the Tower Hamlets Labour Group Cllr Sirajul Islam said:

“Wages are tumbling, prices are rising, and families in Tower Hamlets need real support to help them get through the worst cost of living crisis in decades. They need a government that is on their side, but instead all we get is chaos, incompetence and the highest tax burden in 70 years while public services collapse all around us.

“This is why it is astonishing that in the midst of this devastating Cost of Living Crisis, it is Mayor Rahman’s priority to blow £5million of Council taxpayer’s money on a massive expansion of his office in Tower Hamlets. This money must be focused on offering greater help to our residents.

“Labour has a plan to get our economy moving again – and with families in Tower Hamlets struggling to make ends meet after 13 years of Conservative failure, change can’t come a minute too soon. This is why we need a Labour administration in the Tower Hamlets Town Hall working with a Labour Government in Westminster.”

Notes:

  • In real terms (adjusted for inflation), in October to December 2022, total pay fell by 3.1% on the year. A larger fall was last seen in February to April 2009, when it fell by 4.5% on the year.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/averageweeklyearningsingreatbritain/latest

  • In Tower Hamlets – that’s the equivalent of £1,409.35 worse off

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/16nhbwqPq_589nFeOkziu8koRRueB8bBi

  • The Budget Setting meeting of Tower Hamlets Council will be taking place on Wednesday 1st March at 7pm – the agenda and budget papers can be found here.
  • Labour would be bringing in a proper one-off windfall tax on energy giants – something which the government still fail to do – and spending that on a package of support for energy bills including:
  • A new measure to pass on savings to households immediately, by stopping the energy price cap going up from April. Right now, government plans expose households to a major new spike in prices in April.
  • A new “insulation jump start” – a pot of funding that the government could use right now to supercharge home insulation across the country, saving families hundreds off their bills.
  • Ending the scandalous penalty imposed on prepayment meter customers, ensuring customers do not pay more than those paying by direct debit, alongside a 3 month moratorium on the forced installation of pre-payment meters.