I have lived in Bow and have served as a councillor for Bow East ward for the past 19 years. Our area has changed dramatically in that time – with the population having doubled and thousands of new homes having been built on the old industrial sites. As a ward councillor, I have tried to secure real benefits for the existing community from this development.
In the past, I was the borough’s Lead Member for Housing & Regeneration, as well as the Chair of the Development Committee for several years during which time record numbers of new social homes were built. Other past projects include securing the £12 million investment in Victoria Park and action to support and regenerate Roman Road market and high street.
Today much of my local work in Bow is focussed on trying to get social tenants a better service from their housing associations and improving the public realm. These services have declined significantly in recent years, partly because of the lack of political leadership by the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman.
In the Town Hall, my main role now is as Shadow Lead Member for Finance & Resources. Along with my colleagues in the Opposition Labour Group, we scrutinise Mayor Rahman’s use of public money, challenging that where necessary, including the millions of pounds being spent on a team of staff to serve the Mayor himself instead of local residents.
I have also led for Labour in exposing serious governance failings that led the Government to order an independent ‘Best Value’ inspection of Tower Hamlets Council. That inspection found that the authority under Lutfur Rahman’s leadership isn’t capable of self-improvement and so a team of Ministerial Envoys has been sent in to oversee the implementation of an improvement plan.