“Far-right figure Itamar Ben-Gvir shares footage of himself taunting bound international detainees“ Horrific behavior. And not for the first time from him. This deserves international condemnation and full accountability. www.theguardian.com/news/video/2...

Last week David Blunkett wrote an important op-ed on ways an alternative King's Speech could tackle the cost of living, including with a rent cap. Support like this from a senior Labour figure shows rent controls have entered the mainstream - and rightly so. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Congrats to Mads Ottlie and Jonathan on their election as Bow East's cllrs. It has been a privilege to represent this area. Thanks to my @bgandstepneylabour.bsky.social colleagues, the council officers who have helped me and especially Bow residents for your support + kindness over the past 20 years

🎉🎉SUCCESS🎉🎉 By simply installing proper dropped kerbs with tactile paving, this can make a huge difference for how someone is able to get around their local neighbourhood Thank you @abdimohamed.bsky.social & @cllrmarcfrancis.bsky.social for making sure this got resolved #AccessibleStreets 🧑‍🦽🧑‍🦼🧑‍🦯

🎉🎉SUCCESS🎉🎉 Thank you @cllrmarcfrancis.bsky.social & @abdimohamed.bsky.social for listening and ensuring that action was taken to have dropped kerbs with tactile paving installed here. People who use a wheelchair are now able to cross this entrance way 🙌 #AccessibleStreets 🧑‍🦽🧑‍🦼🧑‍🦯

Just heard about the process by which a council officer was promoted to a senior role. I can't share it, but can say that nothing better illustrates the "culture of patronage" here under Aspire's Lutfur Rahman. If TH Labour's Cllr Siraj Islam is elected Mayor, all staff will be appointed on merit

Giles co-authored the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act with Justin, and I was delighted to work with him on other projects too. I was, frankly, terrified of Giles’ razor-sharp intelligence but soothed by his kindness and great good humour. God, we will miss him.

Two more disabled people talked to me today about the problems they are having getting their disabled parking Blue Badge processed. Lutfur Rahman's Aspire cllrs filibustered TH Labour's motion on a plan to improve this service. Cllr Siraj Islam will implement it if he is elected as Mayor on 7th May

Really disappointing to see the Housing Ombudman Service refusing to investigate a social tenant's complaint about being charged for service they don't receive. It cannot be appropriate to tell potentially vulnerable older/disabled tenants their only recourse is to the First Tier Tribunal i.e. court

The latest Green leaflet says Labour has been "weak opposition to a corrupt Aspire council". In fact the Green cllr did not support the independent Best Value inspection of Tower Hamlets Council under Lutfur Rahman + absented herself from key votes which allowed Aspire to control scrutiny. #FakingIt

Thanks to the i for picking up my interview with Reform’s housing spokesperson >> inews.co.uk/news/grenfel...

From today, Tower Hamlets residents are paying 5% more in Council Tax. That is despite £39 million more in grant from the Labour Govt and is on top of 5% hikes in each of the past 2 years. In total, Aspire Party's Lutfur Rahman has increased CT by nearly 20% since 2022 despite promising to freeze it

Seventeen people in my advice surgery this weekend, 14 of whom are homeless, overcrowded or suffering severe delays getting their housing association to complete repairs. This table shows that for all Lutfur Rahman's promises of thousands of new social homes, his record of delivery is really poor

Thanks to those residents who joined Cllr Abdi Mohamed + me at the dangerous A12 / Wick Lane intersection. My colleagues and I have been pressing for proper pedestrian crossings at this dangerous junction for many years. Lutfur Rahman's decision to scrap the plans when he became Mayor is inexcusable

Tonight, we have the last Full Council of the current four-year term. Tower Hamlets Labour cllrs will move this motion seeking to hold Lutfur Rahman and his Aspire Party to account for the collapse of proper democratic governance in the Town Hall for a second time in the past decade. #NotBestValue

It is now a week since the Govt strengthened its intervention in Tower Hamlets Council under Lutfur Rahman's leadership. There is no sign of any change of attitude in the Town Hall. Just a whole load of big political decisions being rushed out without scrutiny before 'Purdah' kicks in. #NotBestValue

Good to see Clarion Housing Group has started replacing the old 'Crittall' style windows in its flats in Sycamore Avenue. Well done to our constituent Vashti who has fought for this work for the past decade. Her persistence means her neighbours will finally get the warm homes they deserve. 👏

This letter from MHCLG officials explaining why Govt has widened the scope of its intervention in Tower Hamlets Council and given the Envoys extra powers of a Commissioner is very direct in its criticism. It is clear no-one in Whitehall has any confidence left in Mayor Rahman or those around him

Only 2 weeks to go until Lutfur Rahman's latest 5% Council Tax increase kicks in. That's a 20% hike since '22. To justify it, Aspire cllrs claim those who earn up to £50,000 a year are protected thru their CT Relief Scheme. This reply shows that only 74 h/holds actually got anything from this scheme

It is nearly two months since the Govt announced it is minded to widen the scope of its intervention in Tower Hamlets Council under Lutfur Rahman's leadership + give its 'Envoy' the full powers of a Commissioner. From what we heard in the Audit Committee last night, this might be confirmed next week

Just catching up with Mayor Rahman’s announcement that he intends to allow more than 50,000 more flats to be built if he is re-elected. Most of these will be private and so do nothing to help local people, but it will undermine the character of the East End. www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/News_events/...

Great job by @cllrasmaislam.bsky.social in raising tenants' concerns about Sanctuary Housing's service at last night's Housing Scrutiny Committee. This published performance data doesn't reflect the experience of many of our constituents. Tower Hamlets Council should be doing much more to help them

Generally, other than posting on social media, I don't think the outreach about the events has been very effective. The actual event I went to was very good and the people there followed up with answers to my questions. However, it was just luck I even found out it was happening and that's not good.

Heard yesterday that residents living next to the 19 storey tower block Mayor Lutfur Rahman is proposing in Roman Road were not told about last month's consultation event. If @thlabour.bsky.social's Cllr Siraj becomes Mayor, Tower Hamlets Council will properly consult residents about these schemes

Next week's Housing Management Cabinet sub-committee has been cancelled - again. This must be at Mayor Rahman's request. The service's performance data will also remain unpublished, possibly until after May's elections. One meeting in five months isn't going to improve the service LBTH's tenants get

Tomorrow we lift the 9.30am restriction on bus passes, letting older and disabled people travel whenever they want. It was good to thank the GM Older and Disabled People’s Panels for pushing for it. A positive change powered by the people - exactly how politics should work! 🙌🏻

Former Middle East adviser at the US Department of Defense, Jasmine El-Gamal, has it exactly right.

In yesterday's Full Council, Aspire Party cllrs repeatedly claimed anyone earning less than £50,000 a year is protected from their 5% Council Tax increase. When this 'CT Relief Fund' was set up, the Mayor said 19,000 households would get it. This response shows only 143 households did so last year

Have been re-reading Tower Hamlets Council's submission to MHCLG for today's belated Full Council debate on the stricter Govt intervention. The omission of the Govt's actual critique of the lack of progress is itself an e.g. of how LBTH, under Mayor Lutfur Rahman's leadership, misleads our residents

As well as deciding on Mayor Rahman's proposed 5% increase in Council Tax, tomorrow's Full Council meeting will finally give cllrs a chance to discuss the Govt's intention to give its 'Ministerial Envoys' powers to control the use of public money, senior staff appointments + the award of contracts

The key table for Wednesday's Budget Full Council is this one showing grant from the Labour Govt isn't just £39 milion higher in '26/27, but will increase by at least £64 million more by '28/29. In this context, Tower Hamlets Labour cllrs will oppose Mayor Rahman's proposed 5% Council Tax increase

This clip is all over the other place and has made its way onto GB News and Talk TV so I’ll do a bit of an explainer here too! The clip doing the rounds is of a fantastic police officer telling a group of Muslim men that a Christian preacher nearby is entitled to freedom of expression. 🧵 1/19

Thanks to Gateway Housing's team for yesterday's meeting with older residents at Vic Johnson House. Good to see a new f-t scheme warden is now in post and hear plans are finally being drawn up to repair the long broken lift and stop the repeated loss of heating + hot water. Will stay on the case

Just catching up with @allymcgovern.bsky.social's announcement that the Govt will cover 90% of the deficit accrued in local authority Dedicated Schools Grant for SEND services. In Tower Hamlets, this deficit is nearly £30 million so this ends a big financial risk to LBTH's budget + local tax payers

It seems like a lot - almost a quarter of the year - and the months with the nicest weather.

Just received this from AEG about its forthcoming application to use Victoria Park for commercial events over 75 days this summer. Big thanks to Brockwell Park residents whose legal challenge last year means this prolonged restriction on access to public space now requires formal planning permission

Good to meet residents living near the proposed development at Remus Road last night. This co-living scheme exceeds the 6-8 storey height limit for Fish Island established by Tower Hamlets Council in 2010 and adhered to by the LLDC for the past 15 years. A planning application is expected next month

Ahead of the publication of the Schools White Paper, it's critical that young people's voices are heard & used to improve the SEND education system. I was delighted to bring together visually impaired & blind young people with Minister Gould at my roundtable recently www.aop.org.uk/ot/news/2026...

Key workers keep London moving. They deserve to live in the city they serve. That’s why I’m proud to have launched the Key Worker Living Rent scheme, which could save key workers thousands per year in rent.

This budget paper reveals the Labour Govt's decision to extend Free School Meals to all families getting Universal Credit will save Tower Hamlets Council £2 million a year. @thlabour.bsky.social will be demanding that Mayor Lutfur Rahman directly reinvests that money in our Borough's young people

Will be speaking in support of residents objecting to Sanctuary Housing's proposed two tower blocks at Strategic Development Committee tomorrow. The amount of affordable housing is good, but residents living in Ink Court (419 Wick Lane) will lose much of their daylight & sunlight if it is approved

Tonight, Labour MPs voted to scrap the two child limit – a move that puts us on course to drive the biggest reduction of child poverty in a single Parliament. The Tories and Reform UK voted against it. Don’t let anyone tell you voting Labour doesn’t make a difference 🌹

The deadline for Mayor Rahman to respond to the Govt's proposal to strengthen its intervention in Tower Hamlets Council has now passed. While we wait to hear, we can assure residents @thlabour.bsky.social cllrs have fully supported it and requested controls on publicity + oversight of the election

Fourteen constituents in my advice surgery, including two in their eighties who Gateway Housing has left with only intermittent heating + hot water over past month. I am escalating this, but the Regulator for Social Housing itself should be doing more to proactively tackle these systemic failings

Thanks to LBTH's Divisional Director of Finance for publicly acknowledging that the misrepresentation of the external auditor's concerns in yesterday's committee report wasn't appropriate. If others followed his example, Tower Hamlets Council would not now be facing a much stricter Govt intervention

Back in Audit Committee tonight to scrutinise Tower Hamlets Council's progress responding to the external auditor's report identifying a dozen "significant weaknesses" in securing value for money. Despite the positive spin in the published reports, progress is almost non-existent in some areas

Huge thanks to the staff and volunteers at Bethnal Green Sharks Swimming Club for a wonderful night of competitive swimming at York Hall yesterday. Tower Hamlets Council should be doing more to support BGSSC and other sports clubs in the Borough and helping more young people to participate as well

There are now just 99 days until the local elections. Here's a reminder why those in Tower Hamlets on 7th May are the most important in more than a decade. If you want proper governance, improved public services + value for money, please join our campaign for @thlabour.bsky.social's Cllr Siraj Islam

Unsurpisingly, Aspire's cllrs on Overview & Scrutiny Committee voted against asking Mayor Rahman to reverse his latest raid on NCIL funding. If @thlabour.bsky.social's Cllr Siraj Islam is elected Mayor in May, we will reinstate NCIL funding to improve Tower Hamlets' parks, playgrounds + public realm

One of the most questionable things about Mayor Rahman's decision to raid NCIL funding for pre-election grants is that the Isle of Dogs, Leaside + Fish Island which have borne the brunt of redevelopment will end up getting even less £ for public realm improvements than the pittance he gives them now