Communities Secretary Steve Reed has taken the significant step of convening a meeting with government envoys overseeing Tower Hamlets council, signalling deepening Whitehall concern about the east London authority's governance.
A 'Toxic' Culture and Ongoing Scrutiny
The intervention follows a damning report from government-commissioned inspectors published last November, which uncovered a secretive and "toxic" culture within the council, dominated by the inner circle of the directly elected mayor, Lutfur Rahman.
It is understood that Reed plans to meet the three envoys to discuss their work and assess whether sufficient change has been achieved at the council. He will also explore what further actions might be required to ensure proper governance.
Mayor's Controversial History and Councillors' Overseas Ambitions
Mayor Lutfur Rahman, a former Labour leader of the council, first took office in 2010 as an independent. His political career faced a major setback in 2015 when an election commissioner removed him from office and banned him from standing for mayor for five years after finding him guilty of electoral fraud.
In a remarkable political comeback, Rahman was re-elected in 2022 under the banner of his Aspire party, which now holds a small majority of councillors.
The planned meeting was triggered by Reed's discovery that two Tower Hamlets councillors were seeking to become parliamentary candidates in Bangladesh. One is a current Aspire councillor, Sabina Khan, and the other is a former Aspire member who now sits as an independent.
In a letter seen by the Guardian, Reed expressed his dismay, stating he was "appalled that any councillor elected by local people to serve their interests would even consider abandoning that commitment to campaign in another country."
He added his particular disappointment that this was happening while the council, with support from his envoys, was on a "significant improvement journey" requiring dedicated and fully engaged leadership.
Mixed Progress and Political Reactions
An initial progress report from the envoys in July acknowledged steps the council was taking to improve but also highlighted a perceived lack of cooperation from the mayor's office.
The envoys noted: "We have not always felt that staff have prioritised making time for meetings with the envoys, and meeting some individuals has taken longer than it needs to. We are particularly keen to meet the wider mayor’s office and advisors."
Opposition councillors have echoed these concerns. Labour councillor Marc Francis stated: "While there has been activity, there is little sign of any real improvement. Labour councillors continue to have serious concerns about the ‘culture of patronage’ and lack of evenhandedness in the town hall."
Reed's decision to call the envoys now, ahead of their next report expected by the end of the year, is seen as an indication of the level of concern over a seeming lack of progress. This is particularly pressing with elections across all London councils scheduled for next May.
In response, a Tower Hamlets spokesperson said: "The envoys keep the minister updated on the council’s improvement journey and we continue to work in partnership with them to make further progress."
An Aspire spokesperson clarified that Sabina Khan "has not been selected as a candidate to stand for election in Bangladesh," adding that if she were selected, she would be expected to resign, and if she did not, the whip would be removed.
