Politicians choose date of mayoral referendum in Tower Hamlets

THERE S a special meeting tonight at the town hall to discuss the timing of the mayoral referendum in Tower Hamlets. The vote has been triggered by a petition of 10,233 signatures after the Respect party campaigned to give people the right to choose if

THERE'S a special meeting tonight at the town hall to discuss the timing of the mayoral referendum in Tower Hamlets.

The vote has been triggered by a petition of 10,233 signatures after the Respect party campaigned to give people the right to choose if they wanted a directly elected mayor in Tower Hamlets.

Councillors will discuss whether to hold the referendum on the same day as the council elections in May 6 or on February 4 next year.

If voters go to the polls just to decide if they want to have a directly elected mayor the referendum will cost �250,000.

If the vote is combined with council elections in May it would cost just an extra �70,000 on top of the existing costs of the ballot to elect 51 councillors.