Tower Hamlets Labour has announced its amendment to Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s budget proposals for 2023/24. This aims to prioritise help for our most vulnerable residents in the face of the current devastating Cost of Living Crisis, ensuring money is spent on vital public services across the borough rather than wasted on a massive and entirely unnecessary expansion of the Mayor’s private office.
In the budget proposals put forward by the Executive Mayor this year, £1.4 million has been allocated to recruiting 27 new members of staff in the Mayor’s Office, including political advisors. Mayor Rahman has also allocated a £114,000 for Councillors from his own party to receive personalised diary support in their role Chairing Committees which usually only meet once a month. If these ill-judged plans are agreed, nearly £5 million will be wasted on expanding his office during this term – equivalent to an extra 1 per cent on Council Tax bills.
Labour Councillors recognise the impact of rocketing costs for essentials and are determined to ensure Tower Hamlets Council faces up to the difficulties many residents are having accessing local services. That is why Labour is proposing to delete the additional funding to the Mayor’s office and use the money saved to fund a £1.25 million package of support for those at the sharp end of the cost of living crisis along with £1.25 million more to reopen the One Stop Shops and employ more Customer Service staff so residents aren’t left waiting on the phone so long.
Labour councillors are also calling for the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for young people in further education to be doubled to £800 a year and for the eligibility criteria to be widened so that many more families benefit than do at the moment. At the same time, Labour is proposing a £500,000 package of bespoke tuition for students at Key Stage 3, whose transition to secondary school was impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. This will be paid for by phasing the expansion of youth services so there is no return to the problems of the past.
Labour’s comprehensive package would provide:
- £700,000 to reopen the Bow (Roman Road) and Poplar (Chrisp Street) One Stop Shops three days a week.
- £300,000 to employ six additional Customer Service Advisors so phones in Tower Hamlets Contact Centre are answered without leaving residents waiting excessive times;
- £1 million to double the value of the EMA from £400 a year to £800 and widen eligibility to include 16-18 year-olds in families earning up to £30,000 a year;
- £500,000 to introduce a bespoke tuition programme for children at Key Stage 3 whose transition to secondary school was disrupted by Covid;
- A £250,000 increase in funding for Social Care to reduce Homecare charges disabled people pay by up to £500 in 2023/24 through raising to Standard Utilities Allowance.
- A £250,000 top-up to the Discretionary Housing Payment funding pot to help renters struggling with rocketing rents or the Tory Government’s Bedroom Tax.
- £150,000 to award one-off grants to local voluntary food banks helping those struggling to put food on the table.
- A further £250,000 to the Council’s own Residents Support Scheme to help those who are unable to afford essential white goods or utility bills.
- An additional sum of £150,000 to the School Uniform Grant funding to enable families to receive a second grant when their kids grow out of their old uniform.
- £350,000 to ensure improved scrutiny of the council services and spending and the support available to all councillors to help residents when things go wrong.
Tower Hamlets Labour are also calling for a reduction in the Mayor’s plans to increase council rents next year, saving tenants between £150 -£500, and this funding to be used to invest in Tower Hamlets Council’s homes and estates, with the £12.5 million removed by the Mayor from the Housing Revenue Account Capitol Programme used to fund new security doors, front entrance doors, double-glazing and action to tackle damp and mould.
This year’s budget proposals will be debated at the Full Council meeting on Wednesday 1st March. You can read the full Budget proposals here:
Tower Hamlets Council – Agenda for Council on Wednesday, 1st March, 2023, 7.00 p.m.
Shadow Cabinet Member for Resources and Cost of Living, Cllr Marc Francis said:
“The Cost of Living Crisis is the most pressing issue facing Londoners at this time. As elected representatives, we have a duty to put our residents first and provide a safety net in these challenging times.
“Mayor Rahman and his Aspire Party made many promises in their Manifesto last year. But now they are in power they are prioritising an extravagant and self-indulgent expansion of the Mayor’s Office and coterie of advisors, rather than help for our most vulnerable residents. This is due to cost £1.5 million next year alone and £5 million in total over his term of office.
“The Labour Group’s amendment provides a fair and fully costed package for our hardest hit residents, helping young people whose education was hit by the pandemic as well as restoring public access to Tower Hamlets Council’s services. I hope the Mayor and his Aspire councillors put politics aside and support these measures.”
Leader of the Tower Hamlets Labour Group, Cllr Sirajul Islam said:
“When we are in power, Labour put forward a budget which aimed to protect those poorest in our borough, including a 100% Council Tax reduction for those who need it and additional money to support residents with the rising costs of energy bills and food poverty.
We hope Mayor Rahman puts politics aside and supports this amendment for the good of Tower Hamlets residents.”
