MORE than half the voters in London’s East End would prefer electing their Town Hall mayor directly, according to an East London Advertiser online poll. It flies in the face of Tower Hamlets council’s preferred option’ to have its political leader selected by the ruling group of councillors for four years—and no directly-elected mayor

MORE than half the voters in London’s East End would prefer electing their Town Hall mayor directly, according to an East London Advertiser online poll.

It flies in the face of Tower Hamlets council’s preferred option’ to have its political leader selected by the ruling group of councillors for four years instead of annually as at present—and not have a directly-elected mayor.

Our poll showed 57 per cent in favour of having the mayor elected at the ballot box with real powers to govern public affairs at the Town Hall, like London Mayor Boris Johnson at City Hall.

SELECTED LEADER

Only nine per cent of the hundreds taking part in the poll agreed with the council’s present Labour administration that the ruling party should select their leader to run the authority for four years, instead of the present 12 months, and select a figurehead mayor.

But a late rallying third option for the present system to continue, with a Leader selected every year instead of four years and a figurehead’ mayor annually, took 33 per cent of the poll.

The present Labour administration at Tower Hamlets recommends its council Leader chosen by the ruling political party for a four-year term who then selects a Cabinet to make key decisions and selecting a figurehead mayor.

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THE Advertiser’s current online poll is whether Government minister Jim Fitzpatrick, MP for Poplar & Canning Town, was right or wrong to walk out of a Muslim wedding over being segregated from his wife.