Town Hall denies beleaguered Chief has been replaced

TOWN Hall officials have today denied their beleaguered boss Martin Smith has been replaced with an interim’ chief executive in the continuing controversy over his future. Confusion surfaced at last night’s TowerHamlets cabinet meeting when Cllr Abdal Ullah called his deputy Kevan Collins “interim” chief executive

By Else Kvist

TOWN Hall officials in East London have today denied their beleaguered boss Martin Smith has been replaced with an interim’ chief executive in the continuing controversy over his future.

Confusion surfaced at last night’s Tower Hamlets cabinet meeting when Cllr Abdal Ullah called Martin’s deputy, Kevan Collins, “interim” chief executive and suggested he uses his “new powers” to influence council policy.

Interim’ would indicate there was a vacancy for the post, observers were saying.

MISTAKE’

But the council has refused to be drawn on whether Mr Smith will return in his role at the end of his leave following Sunday’s EU election count where he was also Tower Hamlets’ official returning officer.

A Town Hall spokeswoman said: “Cllr Ullah was made aware of his mistake in calling Kevan interim’ at last night’s cabinet meeting.”

The deputy was acting as chief executive while Martin Smith is on annual leave, she pointed out.

The controversy erupted more than a week ago over Martin Smith’s future involving the Labour council leader Lutfur Rahman.