A Tower Hamlets councillor says he "desperately hopes to lose" the next election so he doesn’t have to deal with the ‘incompetent council’ anymore.

Independent-Conservative Councillor Andrew Wood despairs at the organisation which he says lacks "co-ordination, intelligence, and local knowledge".

He has vowed to stand in May’s local election as a candidate for both councillor and mayor but said a part of him hopes he loses because he is so frustrated with how his council is run.

Councillor Wood is one of three opposition members of the Labour-run Tower Hamlets Council.

In May he plans to stand in his Canary Wharf ward as councillor and for mayor of the whole borough.

However, he said the council was “so incompetent” and ineffective that losing might be a better option.

He posted in the Canary Wharf & Isle of Dogs Residents Facebook group: “Tower Hamlets Council is so incompetent I don’t know what to do anymore.

“Part of me desperately wants to lose the elections in May so I do not have to worry about this anymore.

“I don’t know how any organisation can be so lacking in co-ordination, intelligence, and local knowledge.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Councillor Wood said while it would be up to the voters, he would try and improve how the borough was run if elected.

He said: “The issue is that departments don’t talk to each other within the council.

“You may have a problem that requires two or three council departments to come to some agreement about a problem – the problem is that they don’t do that because they don’t talk to each other.

“Someone needs to sort this out, which is why I’m standing for mayor, because it’s such a mess.”

He added that it was all down to the voters.

He said: “It will be up to the residents to decide what happens – I’ll still be standing. I’ll have a manifesto as the mayor and I’ll say what I’ll do if I’m just re-elected as a councillor.

“And if I don’t get elected then fine, I’ll just go on holiday.”

Residents reacted to the councillor’s comments on social media, with many encouraging him to stay in the role.

One said: “Please don’t. We need good people to keep going. Sending strength your way.”

Another agreed, saying: “Local politics (and politics at large) needs good people now more than ever, so don’t give up.

“You have plenty of support behind you.”

Another resident was less sympathetic, writing: “That’s not a great opinion from our councillor.

“We have no hope then.”

Tower Hamlets Council was contacted for comment.