Sirajul Islam: We stand against Antisemitism
This morning, Counter Terrorism Police began investigating an antisemitic attack on a former synagogue in Tower Hamlets. Cllr Sirajul Islam, Leader of Tower Hamlets Labour Group and Labour’s candidate for Mayor of Tower Hamlets, has issued the following statement. “In the last year, we have seen a dramatic rise in violent antisemitic attacks against British […]
LABOUR RESPONSE TO FUTURE PLACES: “MORE FANFARE FOR DEVELOPERS, FEWER ANSWERS FOR RESIDENTS”
Tower Hamlets Labour Group has responded to tonight’s Cabinet consideration of the council’s ‘Future Places’ prospectus by calling on Mayor Lutfur Rahman to answer basic questions the glossy document conspicuously fails to address: what proportion of the 52,000 homes will be genuinely affordable, and at social rent? What will the council actually receive in return […]
Government intervenes further at Tower Hamlets Council as Rahman fails the test
The government this week significantly escalated its intervention in Tower Hamlets Council, issuing its envoys with reserve powers to make decisions in relation to leadership, governance, continuous improvement, culture, partnerships and use of resources. The decision came after the Secretary of State concluded that Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s administration has failed to grip its own problems […]
Labour Budget Amendment Freezes Council Tax and Rents, Backs Highstreets and Cuts Waste in Mayor’s Office
Tower Hamlets Labour Group tables budget amendment protecting residents from a 5% Council Tax hike, proving the increase is a political choice, not a financial necessity, after the Labour Government delivered the biggest funding boost for local government in over a decade Tower Hamlets Labour Group will table a comprehensive budget amendment at Full Council […]
£59 million cash injection from Labour for new school on Isle of Dogs
Cllr Sirajul Islam, Leader of the Tower Hamlets Labour Group and Labour’s candidate for Mayor of Tower Hamlets, has welcomed the Labour Government’s announcement that Tower Hamlets will receive £59 million worth of investment for a new building for Canary Wharf Crossharbour College. Under the Conservative government, the school system was stripped of vital investment […]
Labour challenges Green Party over support for Aspire administration in Tower Hamlets
Labour’s candidate for Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Cllr Sirajul Islam, has written to Green Party leader Zack Polanski raising serious concerns about the conduct of the Green Party’s sole councillor in the borough and her relationship with the Aspire administration. In his letter, Cllr Islam highlights recent Full Council votes in which Green councillor Nathalie […]
Why the Government Has Had to Step In Again in Tower Hamlets
By Councillor Marc Francis (Bow East), Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources This week marks a year since the Government announced an intervention in the running of Tower Hamlets Council under Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s leadership. That intervention was decided upon after an independent ‘Best Value’ inspection during 2024 found serious failings in the authority’s governance and a “culture of […]
LABOUR EXPOSES HOUSING CRISIS: 1 IN 3 COUNCIL HOMES NOW “NON-DECENT” AS SAFETY SATISFACTION PLUMMETS
Tower Hamlets Labour Group’s priority motion to Full Council is calling for an emergency taskforce and immediate capital investment, as new data reveals a shocking deterioration in the borough’s housing service under Mayor Rahman. The motion, to be debated on Wednesday 21 January, comes as the Administration’s own reports to the Housing Management Cabinet Sub-Committee […]
Ending Child Poverty in Tower Hamlets: A Moral Mission for Labour
Councillor Sirajul Islam sets out why ending child poverty must once again be Labour’s defining mission and why housing, fairness and political will matter now more than ever in Tower Hamlets. It is now a quarter of a century since Tony Blair came to Toynbee Hall in Tower Hamlets to announce the Labour Government’s bold […]
£36.6m Government Cash Injection for Tower Hamlets as Labour Delivers Fair Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cllr Sirajul Islam welcomes £36.6m cash injection for Tower Hamlets to boost local services Cllr Sirajul Islam, Leader of the Tower Hamlets Labour Group, has welcomed the Labour Government’s announcement that Tower Hamlets will receive a £36.6 million cash injection for essential services next year. Under the Tories, local authorities were starved […]