Tower Hamlets ruling Labour doesn’t want elected mayor

By Mike Brooke

PLANS have been put forward for the council leader at Tower Hamlets in East London to be in power for four years instead of being re-elected annually.

The idea is being mooted by the ruling Labour administration as its preferred option’ rather than having a mayor directly elected by voters like neighbouring Hackney. A 12-week consultation began in the East End last Thursday.

The present Labour administration is opting to recommend keeping its council Leader chosen by the ruling party who then selects his Cabinet to make key decisions.

NO RE-ELECTION...

But the difference is the Leader being in the driving seat for the whole four years, rather than be re-elected every 12 months

That would mean current leader Lutfur Rahman could remain in power until 2014 if he got back unchallenged by his own Labour colleagues if he won next year’s local elections.

But his Labour group is under special measures’ supervision by London regional Labour party who stepped in to take over the selection process back in June.

...BUT RESELECTION

Those standing for next year’s Town Hall elections in May are no longer selected in the close-knit world of Tower Hamlets party.

Instead, all members, including Cllr Rahman and his inner cabinet, are having to reapply for selection from scratch by a panel of regional London party bosses.

The alternative option—not favoured by the Labour administration—is for a mayor directly elected by the public for four years, like Hackney and the Mayor of London.

The public consultation on having a council-elected leader for four years or a directly-elected mayor runs until October 22, with the final decision taken by present Cabinet members, chaired by Cllr Rahman.

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VOTE NOW in the East London Advertiser’s online poll on whether you want to elect a mayor or keep the council leader for four years.