BHANGEELAAR! The “No to elected executive mayor” campaign launches new move to democratise Tower Hamlets Council.
This has been confirmed today after the Movement Defending the East of London that has over 50 active initiatives backing it, learnt that it was only a matter of time before a Council Ward by-election would be held in the Borough.
“We are determined that the by-election is not done as another way in for another opportunistic person but that the community has the chance to get an active voice for all the issues that Tower Hamlets Council has been engulfing for years”, said a Bhangeelaar statement this afternoon.
[More to follow]
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From the website of the ARCHANT group still running the site in the name of the now merged East London Advertiser
Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman demands benefit fraud cllr Shelina Akhtar’s resignation
By Nadia Sam-Daliri
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
2:29 PM
Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman has called for benefits fraud councillor Shelina Akhtar to resign.
Although Akhtar was counted among his circle of supporters after she defected from the Labour party to work with him, Lutfur Rahman finally heeded opposition calls to take a tough stance in his condemnation of her.
He announced yesterday he had “asked her to resign as well as to return the benefit overpayment.”
He added: “The council takes a tough stance against the misuse of public funds.”
Cllr Akhtar admitted three counts of dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances when claiming housing and Council Tax benefits for a property in Blackwall Way, Poplar at Snaresbrook Crown Court on January 9.
She was convicted of similar offences in July 2010.
After her recent court appearance, Cllrs Josh Peck and Peter Golds, leaders of the Labour and Conservative groups respectively, called on the mayor to demand her resignation.
Meanwhile, politicians accused the town hall standards committee of ineffectiveness after it insisted it could not suspend Akhtar.
A council spokesman confirmed the councillor has been reported to its internal standards team but said because she is not due to be sentenced until February 6 it cannot take prior action.
This means Akhtar, who represents Spitalfields and Banglatown ward, is still free to claim expenses and vote on decisions.
Cllr Golds said: “Why has she not been put before standards? It puts the whole system into disrepute. People are incensed.”
Just a few weeks ago Labour Cllr Helal Abbas was suspended for complaining about the conduct of a council officer.
Mr Peck said there appeared to be an “unevenness” in the way Abbas’ case was dealt with in comparison to Cllr Akhtar’s.
The council spokesman said that because Akhtar is an independent she “is not subject to the rules of any political party or group.”
He added: “Constitutionally the mayor has no power to force Cllr Akhtar’s resignation.”
Despite continued attempts to contact Akhtar, the Advertiser has not been able to get a response from her.
1 comments
Our Movement has called for the sacking and or resignation and or the lawfully implemented removal for life from office of ALL wrongdoing occupants or wannabe occupants of public office in the area covered by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Please do bear in mind the fact that ALL councillors and others "elected" to publicly paid for positions in Tower Hamlets have been silent on all those issues.
The fact that they are just beginning to open their mouths is not good enough. To be a fraudster is not any worse than being a colluder and tolerator of fraudster. Shelina AkhtarAkterAktar is not the first Tower Hamlets Councillor who has been caught out over Council tax benefits abuse and in the present case, theft.
There are OTHER frauds and abuse.
The worst fraud is of course the one that most people appear to leave out of the list. That fraud is the ritualistic fraud that is given a "legitimate image and label".
It is called council election [and or by-election]. What the candidates say at the door when canvassing fro votes they totally forget fore years. What c and the voters do about that fraud is the question that we are campaigning on this week and for the next years. Councillors who are not yet convicted as criminals but are tolerating crimes of mass negligence by the local Council must be held to account. Do they have the honesty and the conscience to face the audit?
BHANGEELAAR! The Campaign against an executive elected mayor in Tower Hamlets
[Calling for a NO to elected mayor since 06 February 2010]