Tower Hamlets Council is set for a major shake-up after the government slammed Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s leadership, branding the Council’s governance “weak” and its culture “toxic.”
In a move to clean up the troubled borough, Local Government Minister Jim McMahon announced sweeping reforms, bringing in ministerial representatives to put Tower Hamlets back on track.
The government’s plan includes transforming the Council’s internal advisory board into a new “Transformation and Assurance Board.”
This revamped board will be packed with independent experts who will keep a close watch on Tower Hamlets’ performance in three critical areas where it’s failing: Leadership, Governance, and Culture & Partnerships.
The current Transformation Board includes a council employee named Hira Islam who has close links to the former Islamic Forum of Europe now and is the secretary of the Council of Mosque. The Council of Mosque received £250,000 of funding under Rahman according to The Times article “Charity run by disgraced mayor Lutfur Rahman’s supporter wins £250k contract”.
Current Transformation Advisory Board Members:
- Mayor Lutfur Rahman (Chair)
- Richard Penn (Member) (Independent non-executive member)
- Sir Steve Bullock DL (Member) (Independent non-executive member)
- Martin Esom (Member) (Independent non-executive member)
- Sir Stephen O’Brien (Member) (Independent non-executive member)
- Dr Mahera Ruby (Member) (Independent non-executive member)
- Dr Kathleen McCarthy (Member) (Independent non-executive member)
- Alison Griffin (Member) (Independent non-executive member)
- Kate Herbert (Member) (Independent non-executive member)
- Hira Islam (Member) (Independent non-executive member)
- Stephen Halsey (Member) (Chief Executive – Senior Responsible Officer SRO)
- Julie Lorraine (Member)
To ensure real change, the government is insisting on transparency. The council must report to the new board every three months on its progress—or sooner if required. And in a bid for fairness, the board will also include at least two opposition councillors, though Rahman will stay on as Chair.
This intervention follows years of complaints about favouritism, poor management, and lack of accountability in the council, and the government has made it clear it won’t tolerate any more excuses. McMahon’s plan means Tower Hamlets will be under the microscope, with ministerial representatives stepping in to ensure the council finally delivers for its residents.
